Welcome to Exercising WELL!

You are part of a community of members who are making exercise a resource for living well, feeling better, and staying motivated.

In Exercising WELL you learn how to exercise the right way for your health and well-being. This approach has been developed over the past three decades, is continuously informed by a blend of mind and body sciences, and is practiced by myself and thousands of others each day. I call it Exercising WELL because it is specifically for those of us who want to exercise to feel and function better, so we can enjoy more of everyday life, or in other words, be well now. I explain what the approach is, why it works, how to do foundational exercises, and how to use the WELL method to sustain motivation.  

The most important thing I want you to learn however, is how to listen to your body. The science is essential, but it can only take you so far—it needs you to work. Experience has taught me that I am not an all-knowing expert, I am a guide. Only you can feel your body and only you know what it means for you to be well. That is why there are plenty of prompts to write what you learn about your body and how to exercise in the way you can be well now and in the future.

To help you keep this in mind, I recommend you get a small plant and put it in the place you will most likely be exercising. Use the care of this plant as a reminder to trust your body. Just like the plant, if you try to give it too much of what it needs, or too little of what it needs, it will not do well. The only way to know just what it needs is to watch for the signs. This mirrors the way you need to listen to and care for your body.

Whether you are just starting, restarting, or are looking for a different approach to exercise, together let’s begin a new chapter in your relationship to exercise, your body, and your well-being.

If you have not done so already, please complete the form below before you get started.

If you would like to receive emails each day this week with a convenient link that takes you right to the section for each day of Start Smart Foundations, click here.

After you do this, you can get started with day one by clicking the "complete and continue" tab above.

Please feel free to email me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing about your experience as you are Exercising WELL. 

Enjoy Exercising WELL,

Copyright ©2020 by Janet Huehls, MS. All rights reserved. This course or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author. Contact Janet Huehls at [email protected] for permissions.

How to get the most from the online platform

• This site is organized into sections so it's easy to do one step at a time.  
• Start with the Start Smart section of each type of exercise, beginning with the Start Smart Foundations. There will be instructions after you complete that section to help you decide where to go next. 
• Start Smart is designed for you to do one part per day, as consistently as possible. If you need more practice with a particular exercise or mindset, give yourself the time you need so it feels right for you.
• Set aside 15-20 minutes a day at a time in your day you are most likely to be free from interruptions.
• From the start, view this time as self-care time and protect it as much as possible.
• The time between practice is as important as the information in the exercises themselves. They allow the information to ‘sink into’ your body and your mind, and give you time to see how it applies in your daily life.
• Remember, this is not about being perfect, it's about being well. Learn from the successes and the challenges—they are both important. If you get off track, learn from what happened and pick up where you left off. There is no success or failure in well-being, just learning.

Give your body the time it needs to develop its ability to move well and be well. Give your mind the time it needs to let the mindset shifts sink in. You will see how this creates a strong foundation for lasting motivation.

FAQs

Why begin with Start Smart?

●     How you start exercise determines if you will stick with it. Many common approaches start in a way that ignores how your body moves well and grows stronger and how your brain motivates. This is why finding the motivation to get started is often the hardest part.

●     Since exercise is above all most effective when it is consistent, the start to exercise is the most important part for getting what you really want from exercise.

●     Start Smart is carefully designed to build a strong foundation of healthy movement for your body and create a positively-motivating association with exercise in your mind.

Can I move faster through the program than one section a day?

Start Smart is designed to be done over one month, because our body and our mindsets take time to change. I recommend moving through the information and exercises at the pace that works best for your body and you lifestyle. Most important is starting with the foundations section. Then move through mobility, strength and stamina in the order that works best for you sets you.

What if I am already exercising?

If you are already doing some type of exercise, and it feels good from the moment you start, continue that exercise. If any part of it is uncomfortable, hold off on that type of exercise. You may find the solution on this site.  As you will learn, making exercise a positive experience from the moment you think about it is the way to be Exercising WELL.

Email me with any other questions at [email protected] or feel free to post questions in the comments section.