Time isnSA国际影视传媒檛 always what holds us back. Sometimes itSA国际影视传媒檚 how we see it.

In our last column, The Measure of a Moment, we explored how physical literacy is woven into the everyday, how movement doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 always show up as training sessions or gym classes, but in snowball fights, hallway badminton games, or a walk home that turns into a race with a friend.

This week, weSA国际影视传媒檙e staying with that everyday rhythm and taking a look at one of the most common barriers to physical activity: time.

The Myth of SA国际影视传媒淣o TimeSA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檇 love to be more active, but I just donSA国际影视传媒檛 have time.SA国际影视传媒� 

WeSA国际影视传媒檝e all heard it and most of us have said it. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 understandable. Between work, school, caregiving, and the endless to-do lists, our days feel full. Not even talking about social media. We donSA国际影视传媒檛 want to go into that rabbit hole. But maybe the problem isnSA国际影视传媒檛 time, maybe itSA国际影视传媒檚 what we think movement needs to be.

Movement doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 need the perfect environment. It doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 require a gym or a clear hour on the calendar. What it does need is a starting point.

Sme examples could include:

SA国际影视传媒� Take the stairs instead of the elevator;

SA国际影视传媒� Walk to work instead of driving;

SA国际影视传媒� Have a random dance party while making lunch;

SA国际影视传媒� Stretch while watching TV;

SA国际影视传媒� Balance on one foot while brushing your teeth.

These arenSA国际影视传媒檛 SA国际影视传媒渨orkouts,SA国际影视传媒� theySA国际影视传媒檙e moments, part of life. And they count. Every time.

Small Movements, Big Shifts

LetSA国际影视传媒檚 say you move for five minutes, twice a day. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 10 minutes of activity you didnSA国际影视传媒檛 do before. Stack that up across a week and youSA国际影视传媒檙e creating something meaningful.

Because here's the truth:

SA国际影视传媒� Consistency is more powerful than intensity;

SA国际影视传媒� Movement can be playful, unstructured and joyful;

SA国际影视传媒� Physical literacy is not a stopwatch. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 a lifelong journey rooted in your confidence, competence, and motivation to move

The more you find small ways to move, the more confident and capable you feel. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 what physical literacy is about. Not performance, not perfection, but possibility built through tiny moments that add up.

Time as a gift, not a constraint

We often treat time like a barrier, something in the way. A limitation. A stressor. But what if we flipped the narrative? What if time wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 something we run out of but something we get to choose how to use? We are in control. 

Movement isnSA国际影视传媒檛 something you have to earn, itSA国际影视传媒檚 something you deserve. And when we give ourselves permission to move, without pressure, we start to notice some other things:

SA国际影视传媒� Our mood lifts;

SA国际影视传媒� Our energy shifts;

SA国际影视传媒� We feel just a bit more like ourselves

You donSA国际影视传媒檛 have to run a marathon. But you can reclaim one, five, or 10 minutes and feel better because of it. Because in that space, youSA国际影视传媒檙e not just moving your body, youSA国际影视传媒檙e reminding yourself I matter enough to move.

Try this today:

SA国际影视传媒� Take a one-minute move break. Right now, as youSA国际影视传媒檙e finishing this column. Stand, stretch, breathe. It all counts.

SA国际影视传媒� Invite someone to move, exercise, or play a sport with you. No plan needed, just an open moment.

SA国际影视传媒� Notice the ways you already move... and celebrate them, like those epic Christmas holiday dance-off competitions or snow-clearing sprints that double as a workout

In the rhythm of everyday life, movement doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 need a perfect schedule. It just needs a heartbeat, a starting point, and a little room to breathe. And maybe, just maybe, a different way of looking at time. Not as something we run out of, but as something we can choose to give to ourselves, to our health, and to the moments that move us.

Thorsten Gohl is the co-ordinator of Physical Literacy NWT.