YOU GOTTA KEEP MOVING! — Daron O'Donnell

**"If you move your body, you'll change your life."**

"Get up offa that thing and shake till you feel better," are the lyrics from the classic song by James Brown; when I hear this song, it gets me moving! It also carries a simple and powerful reminder for me – when you're feeling down move your body, and you'll feel better. Sometimes it's easy to move, you get up from your desk, take a short walk, and it makes you feel better. And there are other times when it’s not so easy because of health reasons, lack of motivation, or you’re feeling stuck in life.

Last May, I found myself feeling stuck in life. I started taking birth control pills and didn’t notice the gradual and harmful effects this had on my body. It was as though someone had entered my body and turned off a switch. I had just moved to New York and hadn’t started working, and I didn’t yet have a routine. Since my body wasn’t moving, neither was my mind. I needed to get moving again, but I was stuck. I would say to myself, “Tomorrow, I’ll go to the gym or maybe take a yoga class,” but I didn't. I was a hamster on a spinning wheel and couldn’t get off. To make matters worse, I started feeling guilty and ashamed that as yoga and fitness professional, I wasn’t able to practice what I preach. After only three weeks, I had spiraled down into a state of depression.

I woke up one morning with the lyrics in my head. "Get up offa that thing and shake till you feel better.” At that moment, I knew what I had to do. I needed motion – I needed to take charge and make changes in my physical body. Like Tony Robbins says, “motion creates emotion.” It was good timing because within a few days, CorePower Yoga opened its doors in New York and I started teaching yoga. And, I had to show up; I had to be there for my students. There’s no better way to end your suffering than to step out of yourself and serve. Slowly, but surely, the dark cloud that had been hanging over my head for weeks soon began to lift. My passion and energy returned.

I’m glad I experienced this temporary setback because as a fitness professional, I want to understand how I can help others who are faced with similar obstacles. I also want others to know that exercising has extreme health benefits and it’s more than burning calories. Exercising improves your chances of living longer and living healthier. Statistics claim 7 out of 8 deaths are caused by chronic disease. Some diseases can be prevented or decreased with exercise, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Everyone, I challenge you to move each day. Need some help? If you’re in the New York area, come take class with me at CorePower Yoga or at Orangetheory Fitness. If you’re outside New York, I can still help. Here’s a list of ideas I borrowed from the blog “Thank Your Body,” by Robin Konie.

1. Set the alarm every hour and get up and walk for at least five minutes. This could be one of the most powerful things you do for your body.

2. Go to a park. Ever watch kids at a playground? They are all over the place. Something about parks and playgrounds that just brings back some “fun momentum” to get you going. Play a game of tag with some friends. Try out the swings. Roll down a hill. Watch some kids and be inspired.

3. Start and end your day with movement. Gently stretch the moment you get out of bed. Learn a short yoga routine to end your day. Walk around the block morning and night. Make movement the “hello” and “goodbye” of each day and notice how much better you feel.

4. Do what you love: Tennis, swimming, dancing, jump rope, basketball, yoga, weights, running, walking, whatever! Don’t limit yourself by some “standard” of proper exercise. Just move.

Once you get started, you won’t want to stop. Take it from me, if you move your body, you’ll change your life, so “get up offa that thing and shake till you feel better.”