It is August my friends! You know what that means: heat and humidity! OH and back to school!

Whether you’re getting ready for the new semester yourself, supporting friends and family in their education, or have little ones to send off, back-to-school time can be stressful.

Keeping up with an exercise and self-care schedule can be extra challenging and often finds its way to the back burner if we’re not mindful of our needs when schedules change.

What releases endorphins and reduces cortisol, the perfect combatants for stress??

YUP. Exercise.

THIS article released by the Harvard Medical Journal outlines the benefits of exercise on stress and how as little as 20 minutes of activity can have a positive effect on mental and physical health.

TIPS on how to integrate exercise into a back-to-school routine:

• Set aside a block of time (or a couple throughout the day) to dedicate to self-care. Make sure that taking care of yourself remains a priority by blocking off time on your schedule. Two or three 15-20 minute exercise sessions a day can be a great starting place to make sure you take time for yourself. We have several short movement and meditation videos available online in our On-Demand Library. 
• Exercise is Exercise. Whether it’s taking a 20-minute mindful stroll at lunch, a morning meditation, playing with the dogs in the evening after dinner, making exercise feel less like a chore can help you want to do more of it!
• Invite others to workout with you. Signing up for group classes is a great way to keep yourself accountable; start that neighborhood silver sneakers walking group; take your significant other to the gym with you. Working out in a group can offer you a support network, get you into a groove, give you a starting point on safe exercise routines, and more.
• Most importantly, be forgiving and graceful to yourself if it doesn’t work out. Change is difficult to adapt to, don’t hold onto missed workouts or meditation sessions. Keep the goals, but soften the expectations.

How do you maintain your health with a changing schedule? We’d love to hear your tips and tricks. If you have goals for balancing school schedules and self-care you want to share, visit our community on social media Instagram & Facebook.