Awaken Your Path: A Journey Through Spiritual Healing & Plant-Based Living
Exercise
Rebuilding Strength: A Personal Reflection on Exercise and Recovery
I’ve always understood the value of exercise, especially growing up, but, like many of us, the rhythms of daily life shifted over the years. Working remotely from home, I gradually slipped into a more sedentary routine. It wasn't intentional, it just happened quietly over time. Then came a wake-up call I hadn’t expected: cancer, strokes, and the infections stemming from chemo side effect.
Everyone’s body and journey is different, but for me, finding creative ways to stay active from home has been essential - not just for physical healing, but for mental and emotional well-being.
If you're able to move more freely than I can right now, the general recommendation is about 150 minutes of exercise per week, or 30 minutes most days. It doesn’t need to be complicated - walking, resistance training, or even stretching counts. The key is to move consistently enough to raise your heart rate and break a light sweat.
What I’ve learned, sometimes the hard way, is that exercise does so much more than build muscle. It can:
• Calm the nervous system and relieve stress
• Support brain function and mood
• Improve circulation and manage blood sugar (especially helpful if you're pre-diabetic)
• Boost immune health
• Reduces depression
• Improves brain health, energy, sleep, and mental clarity
• Lower the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes
• Reduces risk of falls and fall-related injuries
Even something as simple as going for a walk after a meal can help your body use glucose more effectively - a small shift with real impact. One thing I’ve found helpful is to start small and stay consistent. Even just 1–2 minutes of gentle movement every hour can make a difference. If you’re sitting for long stretches, consider using a compact under-desk bike or stretching for a minute between tasks. Over time, those minutes add up.
Learn more about the connection between exercise and your gut in this great article.
If you don’t have mobility restrictions, a well-rounded approach to movement might include:
• Cardiovascular endurance (movement that increases your heart rate)
• Muscle strength (resistance or isometric exercises)
• Flexibility and balance (gentle stretching or yoga)
There’s no perfect way to move - only the one that fits your body, your life, and your current capacity.
Exercise greatly affects metabolic rates, vascular health and growth, and psychological processes, as well as the growth of neuronal connections. Both aerobic and strength-training exercises have been shown to reduce risk of cognitive decline. Regular movement is also emerging as a powerful influence on cognition, so creating an environment where one is either moving or standing and not staying sedentary for many hours at a time is also vital for brain health. Research conducted in 2025 show older adults with decades of endurance training had natural-killer immune cells that were more metabolically efficient, less prone to inflammation, and better at responding to stressors.
One thing I recently came across - and found deeply encouraging - is a 2025 CNN Health article highlighting how exercise improved outcomes for cancer patients. It reminded me how interconnected our systems are - and how food, movement, and care all work together to support healing.
In addition, a 2017 study published in Preventative Medicine suggests that people who engage in high levels of physical activity (defined as “engaging in 30 minutes of jogging for women, or 40 minutes of jogging for men … five days per week”) wound up with health benefits that amount to a “biologic aging advantage of nine years.”
I'm still learning, and every day brings new lessons. But I’m grateful for what my body can do, even if it looks different now than it did in the past. Wherever you are in your own journey, I hope you’ll feel encouraged to listen to your body, start where you are, and celebrate each small step forward. Healing isn’t linear - but it is possible.