Healthy Movement Resources and Examples from the White Picket Fence Staff

Here are some of the physical activities that our staff at White Picket Fence Counseling Center love to do:

Diosa Moran, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern: I enjoy bike riding on nature trails, yoga, dancing and Zumba classes, hiking, and breath work for relaxation.

Jaki Hitzelberger, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern: As a former athlete, I enjoy a variety of movement now, always switching it up. I enjoy being with others playing sports, biking and paddle boarding, and also working out with light weights. I don't like the word, "cardio," but I like movement activities such as dance. I like to take a month off now and then to focus on other things I enjoy, like reading.

Laura Silvestre, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern: I enjoy walking my dog around the lake everyday, jogging outdoors, going to the gym, and yoga.

Janet McCurdy, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern: I am an avid walker, walking about 4 1/2 miles a day. Not only is walking a great exercise for me physically, but it is a time each day that I can listen to music, clear my mind or just enjoy being outdoors. I practice yoga regularly and also enjoy riding my mountain bike.

Rachel Lowe, Registered Clinical Social Work Intern: Various forms of walking- walking dogs or with my baby and window shopping, going on long nature walks, playing on the floor with the baby, and bike riding are my most usual forms of movement.

Kristin Solberg, Licensed Clinical Social Worker: So as most working moms can relate, you can imagine my horror when in the middle of a recent meeting, Sandee began going around the circle asking my co-workers what they did for "movement" in their lives. I felt like I was back in school and I immediately started panicking that she would call on me next! What would I say? I belong to the YMCA but I haven't gone there to exercise in around three years! The only time I enter that building is to bring my kids to basketball or swim lessons. I began thinking about what kind of movement I actually do and I was surprised by my answers.

As a working mom I am always on the go, which means lots of movement! I also take every opportunity that I have with my family to take walks, pull the kids in the wagon, ride bikes, go to the playground (no, I don't sit on the bench with my cell phone!), and to just play in the backyard. So although I may not have as much scheduled exercise time as I would like, I am certainly adequate in the movement department, more than I had realized! Phew! I DO have an answer.

Sandee Nebel, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist: I call myself the “ultimate cross trainer.” I take a Yoga class a few times a week: yin yoga, gentle Hatha yoga, or Iyengar yoga (I like to have lots of variety), you may have seen me walking my dog up to Park Avenue, and training at SSP. (I’ve recently hurt my back, , so I am restricted to walking and VERY gentle yoga....it's been a challenge and a gift of creating extreme self-care.)

Here are some of our suggested resources and tools for your physical activity routine:

• Personal trainers – one-on-one or in a group
• DVDs that you can rent or borrow from the library
• Walking clubs
• Group exercise programs

Check your community bulletin boards, local newspaper, gym or YMCA/JCC for listings.