Move for Your Mind: Physical Activity in the New Year
As we enter 2026, the usual conversations take place around resolutions and intentions for the new year, and many of us consider our routines around eating and movement as we reflect and start again. It is well established that moderate physical exercise functions as an anti-depressant and can be as effective as the medications that are commonly prescribed for depression. There are many options for movement, and as you consider starting again with a new intention, maybe it’s time for something new.
Why Not Try Something New?
When my own routines have become tiring or uninteresting, I’ve found it helpful to try something I’ve never done before that appeals to me. A recent example is snowboarding, which I have never tried before the week that I’m writing this blog post. There’s a steep learning curve but I’m really enjoying it. For me there’s an energy and challenge around trying something new that gives the activity an additional appeal. Consider something you’ve never tried if this is also true for you. I had a fun time trying a curling lesson once. I picked up tennis during my forties. I didn’t train intensely in martial arts until I was in my mid-thirties. In the past couple of years, I’ve tried ecstatic dance and restorative yoga.
It’s never too late to try something you’ve never done before within your physical abilities. On the other hand, if routine and familiarity are more appealing to you, there still may be value in trying a familiar activity in a different setting or expanding into a new version of what you’re already doing. For example, you may try an obstacle race or mud run instead of another 5K. Or you may try running or walking on a new trail or with a new friend rather than another familiar route.
Want Versus Should
The language and tone of our internal dialogues have an impact on our motivation and behavior. We know that positive reinforcement is more effective for shaping behavior than punishment, so avoid using a punitive voice with yourself if you don’t follow through with the specifics of a new intention or goal. Instead, offer yourself some kindness for setting a new intention, trying something new, and getting back up again when things don’t go as planned. One small example is choosing a new behavior that you want to do, not one that you feel you should want to do. We suffer more when we wish for reality to be different than it is, so if you’re not interested in running, don’t force it! There are many ways to be active and feel good. You may also be willing to try something you’ve never done if you’re unsure whether you’d like it. Consider it an experiment where you’ll collect some more data.
Broaden Your Scope of Movement
This year, I challenge you to consider ‘movement’ in a broader sense as well. Maybe for you, movement means taking a step into a deeper level of risk in your career or changing course in your career altogether. Maybe it means being more direct in a relationship where you’ve left important expressions unspoken. Or maybe movement means taking a step away from a relationship or situation where you know you’ve been settling for less than you need, want, and deserve. Sometimes as we let go of the practices and relationships that drain our energy, we are pleasantly surprised to see that new opportunities await us that we never could have predicted. Take the challenge to expand your experience of movement in this new year. Consider these questions if you have a journaling or meditation practice, or if you’d simply like to spend a moment reflecting on them:
What are my current practices around physical activity? What slight shift could I make to give myself a new experience that I want to have?
What are five ways of moving my body that I have always wanted to try, or would be willing to try for the first time to see if there’s something I’d enjoy about them?
In a broader sense, what do you most need to move toward?
What do you most need to move away from?
