The Best Kind of Exercise Doesn't Feel Like Exercise

If you're a busy mom who's ever wondered whether chasing your kids, walking after dinner, or dancing while cleaning "counts" as exercise, the answer is yes. As a mom, I've learned that movement doesn't always have to happen in a gym. Some of the healthiest habits are the ones that naturally fit into everyday family life.

As an exercise physiologist, people probably assume I spend hours in the gym every day. The truth is, my weekdays look a lot like everyone else's. I leave the house before my kids wake up, work an eight-hour shift, and spend a little over two hours commuting each day. During the day I'm teaching fitness classes, meeting with patients and members, walking what feels like miles around the facility, checking equipment, re-racking weights, restocking towels, and answering more questions than I can count.

By the time I pull into my driveway, my Apple Watch has usually congratulated me for closing all three of my activity rings.

Now, before you think I'm saying workouts don't matter, let me clear that up. I still make strength training a priority three or four days a week during my lunch break. That's my time. It keeps me strong, gives me a mental reset in the middle of the workday, and honestly, I enjoy it.

But some of my favorite movement doesn't happen during my workout.

It happens after work.

Almost every evening, one of my kids asks, "Mom, can we go for a walk?"

Before I know it, they're grabbing their bikes while I'm putting on my walking shoes. They ride ahead, I walk behind them, and every now and then I have to jog to catch up because apparently they're training for the Tour de France. We talk about school, laugh about something that happened during the day, point out random things we see along the way, and sometimes race to the next mailbox.

Those walks aren't hard workouts.

They're just part of our evening.

And maybe that's why they've become one of my favorite ways to move.

Why Everyday Movement Counts as Exercise

Over the years, I've found that most people don't need a better workout plan—they need a better relationship with movement.

Somewhere along the way we've convinced ourselves that exercise only "counts" if we're sweating through an hour-long workout or crawling out of the gym.

Our bodies don't think that way.

They respond to movement, whether you're carrying laundry around the house, dancing while cleaning the kitchen, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking with your kids after dinner.

Now, technically, there is a difference between physical activity and exercise. Exercise is planned and structured, while physical activity includes all the movement you do throughout the day. But if you're completely sedentary, that distinction isn't nearly as important. The first goal is simply to move more.

In the Exercise is Medicine program, we often talk about exercise snacks. They're exactly what they sound like—little bursts of movement throughout the day. Maybe it's a five-minute walk between meetings. Maybe it's a few sit-to-stands while dinner is cooking. Maybe it's parking a little farther away from the store.

They aren't flashy, but they work.

I also tell people not to get hung up on 10,000 steps right away. If you're averaging 2,000 steps a day, jumping straight to 10,000 usually ends with frustration. Instead, find your average and add about 2,000 steps. Once that feels normal, add another 2,000. Building habits slowly may not be exciting, but it's usually what lasts.

Give yourself little wins!

How We Built an Active Family Without Really Trying

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that's exactly what happened in our house.

We didn't sit down one day and decide we were going to raise active kids. We just made movement part of everyday life.

If I'm being honest, my husband deserves a lot of the credit for that.

He's the one who turns an ordinary afternoon into a neighborhood Nerf war or a water balloon fight. He'll race the kids down the driveway, challenge them to friendly competitions, or hook up the big speaker with microphones so everyone can have a full-blown karaoke concert in the living room.

He's definitely the more hands-on, activity-loving parent.

I'm usually the one making sure everyone has bug spray because, despite living in Georgia, I still don't love being outside. If the mosquitoes are out, you'll probably find me sitting in front of a fan so they can't get to me.

Somewhere along the way, though, something really cool happened.

Our kids stopped waiting for us to come up with ways to move. Now they're the ones asking to go for a walk. They're the ones asking for dance parties. They're the ones asking if they can work out with us.

If I miss my lunchtime workout, I'll throw together a quick circuit at home while my husband gets his lift in. It never takes long before one of the kids wanders into the garage and asks, "Can I work out too?"

Of course they don't do our workouts.

They focus on running, jumping, landing, agility, power, balance, and core strength. More than anything, we want them to enjoy challenging themselves.

My 9-year-old daughter is a perfect example of that. The other day she knocked out 11 pull-ups and 17 push-ups with beautiful form. I was impressed, but not because of the number. I was proud because she wasn't trying to impress anyone. She just wanted to see if she could do one more than last time.

That's the kind of relationship I hope all of my kids have with movement. Not because they feel like they have to but because they're curious about what their bodies can do.

Of course, life has a funny way of reminding us that movement doesn't always happen when we plan it.

This is the perfect example, one afternoon the kids accidentally left our backyard gate open. I didn't realize it until I let the dogs outside. Within seconds they were halfway down the street causing absolute chaos. Now, if you've ever chased dogs that have no intention of coming back, you know there isn't time to make a plan.

You just run.

By the time I finally caught them and started walking home with a dog in each hand, an Amazon driver slowed down, rolled down his window, smiled, and said, "You still got it, Mama!"

I laughed the rest of the way home.

Definitely not the cardio session I had planned. But it still counted.

My Biggest Takeaway

The older I get, the more I realize that's what movement looks like in real life. Some days it's a strength workout during my lunch break. Some days it's an evening walk with my kids while they ride their bikes. Some days it's a dance party in the kitchen, a neighborhood water balloon fight, or sprinting after two runaway dogs.

As an exercise physiologist, I'll always believe in the value of structured exercise. Strength training has benefits that everyday movement can't replace. But everyday movement has benefits that the gym can't replace either. It gives us memories. It gives us connection. It gives us opportunities to laugh, play, and spend time with the people we love.

When I look back years from now, I probably won't remember every workout I squeezed into my lunch break. I will remember the evenings my kids asked me to go for a walk. I'll remember the karaoke concerts in the living room, and the Nerf wars in the neighborhood. Maybe that's what I've learned after all these years of studying exercise. The best kind of exercise isn't always the one that leaves you sore. Sometimes it's the one that leaves you with a really good story.

Until next time,

Jessica