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Move in a Way That Makes You Happy
Every year on 10 May, the world marks Global Move for Health Day, a WHO initiative launched in 2003 to encourage people everywhere to get moving. Not by overhauling their lives overnight, but simply by choosing to move. In whatever way works for them.
For a lot of us, the word “exercise” carries a lot of baggage. Images of early morning gym sessions, calorie counters, and routines we abandoned after three weeks. What Global Move for Health Day asks us to do is something far simpler and more enjoyable than that. It asks us to move.
Any bodily movement
Movement is not one size fits all
There is no single correct way to be active. The WHO defines physical activity as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. That includes walking, dancing, gardening, swimming, cycling, playing with your children, or stretching in your lounge on a Sunday morning.
So many people have written themselves off as “not sporty” or “not a gym person” when the truth is they simply have not found their version of movement yet. A brisk walk, a weekend hike with friends, a weekly dance class: none of these require a membership, a personal trainer, or a specific body type.
Research from the University of the Witwatersrand shows that only 19.8% of South African adults meet the WHO’s physical activity guidelines. A significant part of the reason is an all-or-nothing mindset: if it is not structured or intense, it does not count. That thinking is both incorrect and discouraging. Even small, consistent movements add up meaningfully over time.
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Move for your health, not just your appearance
One of the most liberating shifts you can make is to stop moving for how your body looks and start moving for how it feels.
The WHO confirms that regular physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and depression. It enhances brain health, improves sleep, and boosts overall wellbeing. Physical activity also releases chemicals in the brain that boost self-esteem, improve concentration, and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. That feeling after a good walk, swim, or dance session is not imaginary. It is physiological, and it is available to all of us.
Finding movement
The most sustainable movement is the kind you enjoy
Research consistently shows that enjoyment is one of the strongest predictors of long-term exercise adherence. People who find genuine pleasure in the way they move are far more likely to keep moving. So if you dread the treadmill, get off it. Finding movement you look forward to is not taking the easy way out. It is the sustainable way in.
Think about what you loved doing as a child. Whether you prefer being indoors or outdoors, alone or with others, moving to music or in silence. What fits realistically into your day, your week, your life as it actually is.
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Some ideas to get you started
Movement can look like many things: a morning yoga practice, a weekend trail run, a lunchtime walk with a colleague, a Zumba class, a gentle cycle through the neighbourhood. Gardening counts. So does dancing around your kitchen.
If you feel you need extra motivation to get started, it may also be worth considering a medical aid that offers a rewards programme linked to healthy lifestyle choices, including physical activity. Many of these programmes track movement, reward consistency, and make staying active feel genuinely worthwhile.
The point is not to find the most efficient form of exercise. The point is to find something that makes you want to show up again tomorrow.
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Your health is worth protecting
Movement is one of the most powerful and accessible tools we have for looking after ourselves, not just our bodies, but our minds, our energy, and our quality of life. On Global Move for Health Day, the invitation is simple. Move in a way that makes you happy.
At Securitas® Financial Group, we believe that protecting your health and protecting your future go hand in hand. If you would like to understand how your medical aidhttps://securitasfinancialgroup.co.za/medical-insurance/ or overall financial plan supports a healthy lifestyle, speak to one of our financial advisors today.
Did you find this article insightful? You may want to read Why Following Your Gut Might Be the Answer to Good Health and Your Heart Is in Your Hands as well.