January 29, 2025 • 37 mins
When’s the last time you thought about recess? Those carefree minutes filled with laughter, play, and movement might just hold the secret to better health and a happier life. In this episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian shares why bringing back the joy of play is essential—not just for kids, but for adults, too.
With personal stories and research-backed insights, this episode explores how to take the “work” out of workouts and rediscover movement as an act of fun. Whether you’re swinging at the park, dancing in your kitchen, or simply embracing the lighter side of life, it’s time to bring back recess and reap the benefits.
FROM THE EPISODE
“Somewhere along the way many of us lost the sense of play in that free-spirited way, that release of unstructured playtime. As adults we have replaced recess with routine and we've swapped playtime for productivity.”
WE DISCUSS:
(1:22) Introduction: Reflecting on the magic of recess
(4:17) Personal stories: Volunteering at PE and lessons from Brazil
(14:51) ROI of play: Health benefits and the science of movement
(18:56) A Mindful Minute: Reconnecting with recess
(22:27) Practical tips to make play a part of your day
(31:33) Reflective questions
(32:56) Recap and final thoughts: Let’s rediscover recess together
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Visit my website: wendybazilian.com
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Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey–together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.
HEALTH DISCLAIMER:
The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.
REFERENCES:
Hötting, K., & Röder, B. (2013). Beneficial effects of physical exercise on neuroplasticity and cognition. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews, 37(9 Pt B), 2243–2257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.04.005
Koch, S., et al. (2019). Effects of dance movement therapy and dance on health-related psychological outcomes: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1806. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01806
Loprinzi, P. D. (2015, August). Accumulated short bouts of physical activity are associated with reduced premature all-cause mortality: implications for physician promotion of physical activity and revision of current US government physical activity guidelines. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 90, No. 8, pp. 1168-1169). Elsevier.
Proyer, R. T. (2013). The well-being of playful adults: Adult playfulness, subjective well-being, physical well-being, and the pursuit of enjoyable activities. European Journal of...
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
But what if we could
take the work out of
workouts and put the play
back into our days?
I'm sharing why it matters
for your health and the
science to back it up.
Let's re-invent recess.
We experience 1,000 waking minutes
on average every day.
How are you spending yours?
(00:21):
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and
you're listening to 1,000 Waking
Minutes.
I can't wait to connect
with you here with practical
ways to eat well, move
daily, and be healthy.
To optimize every waking minute
you live for a happier,
healthier life.
Thank you for sharing some
of your waking minutes with
me today.
Let's get started.
(00:43):
I'm saying yes to better
days, yes.
I'm on my way, yes.
It's gonna be okay, yeah.
Good day to you and
welcome back to 1,000 Waking
(01:04):
Minutes, the podcast where we
explore how to make the
most of our days into
weeks, into months, into time
for a healthy, well-lived
life by evaluating our waking
minutes each day.
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and
today we're talking about something
I think you're going to
love, especially if you've ever
(01:25):
found yourself sort of longing
for the simple, more playful
days of youth.
So let me ask you
a question.
When was the last time
you thought about recess?
You know, the magical, whimsical
minutes in the middle of
our school days back on
(01:46):
the playground.
I bet you can picture
it.
I can still hear the
sounds of my own playground,
the squeal of my classmates,
the squeak of chains on
our playground equipment.
And I am fortunate because
where I live, actually, when
the wind turns a certain
direction, we have an elementary
(02:08):
school down the hill from
us a little bit in
the distance, and I can
hear the playground there.
So I get the real
live exposure as well as
with my daughter in her
school.
So do you remember the
sounds?
Think about it.
Maybe you can hear the
slap of jump ropes on
the pavement or the thunk
(02:29):
of that kickball.
We always had those red,
super bouncy kickballs, and when
someone would connect with it,
you could hear sort of
that boing type of sound,
all the cool things on
the monkey bars and sort
of people just enthusiastically exclaiming
and jumping and having fun.
Really, it was like hearing
the feeling of freedom that
(02:50):
came with recess.
But somewhere along the way,
many of us lost the
sense of play in that
free-spirited way, that release
of unstructured playtime, maybe.
And as adults, we have
replaced recess with routine, and
we've swapped playtime for productivity.
(03:15):
And when it comes to
movement or exercise, we even
call it a workout.
Have you ever thought about
that?
Think about that for a
moment.
We put the word work
into our movement and exercise.
So today, I want to
rethink all of that.
We're going to explore how
to take the work out
of workouts and bring the
(03:36):
play back into our every
day and into some of
those waking minutes, because let's
be honest, playing hard sounds
a lot more fun than
working hard.
I hope you agree.
So grab a seat or
actually go skip outside with
your earbuds on and get
ready to move, both in
(03:57):
our mind, back to a
time of recess as we
start reinventing recess together for
our lives today.
So let me share a
little bit about what got
me thinking about this idea
for an episode, but also
the idea of recess for
grownups.
Almost every week, unless I'm
(04:18):
traveling on business on that
particular day, and I do
try to schedule my travel
so it doesn't intersect with
this.
But I volunteer at my
daughter's P.E. class.
It's not called gym there
anymore.
I don't know if you've
gotten the memo, but at
our school, it's P.E.
And in fact, my daughter
didn't know what P.E.
(04:38):
stood for until recently when
we talked about physical exercise
was the acronym.
And my time there is
one of the absolute highlights
of my week.
Watching the kids just dive
into movement, whether it's running
around, their sort of gregarious
play.
They're playing various versions of
(04:59):
tag that we did when
we were growing up called
sharks and minnows or Halloween
themed ones where it's witches
and goblins chasing around a
pool noodle -
only shoulders or lower - as
the tagging instrument.
Learning about tossing a ball
properly, you step, you swing,
you toss or beanbags, of
(05:20):
course, and doing partner skills.
I think last week we
did hula hoops and soccer
balls.
It's so much fun.
It's a lot of joy.
It's certainly some chaos.
And I really adore Coach
Weiss, our P.E. coach
who has been at the
school for eight years already.
Apparently, I have earned the
(05:42):
distinction of his first volunteer
ever.
And I earned my way
in by celebrating the fact
that I could jump rope.
I could wipe noses.
I could help wrangle and
demonstrate.
Into probably one month into
volunteering, I also shared that
I'm certified in CPR and
also an exercise physiologist, but
(06:02):
didn't lead with that.
I just wanted to be
a mom volunteering for P.E.
But Coach Weiss, he
is a tremendous teacher.
He has to be, as
you can imagine, a very
good wrangler.
And he's an all around
good sport, literally.
The one thing, though, that
I've noticed is that the
children are not thinking about
(06:24):
the calories they're burning or
the muscle groups that they're
targeting.
And should this cause concern?
No, indeed, it should not,
of course. (You were probably
going with like, "what is
she thinking about?")
They are doing the same
things we're doing when we're
out there exercising or getting
a workout.
But they're not translating it
in the least to these
(06:45):
things that we think about
on a regular basis when
it comes to exercise meets
health.
They're practicing coordination.
They're practicing balance.
They're doing aerobic activity.
They're engaging different muscle groups
and they're moving. And they're
moving just because it's fun.
In fact, they separate the
(07:05):
idea of being tired from
I want to run a
lap.
That's something that always fascinates
me.
They say, oh, I'm so
tired, Coach Weiss.
And then they want to
take a break and say,
can I run a lap?
It just gives me the
giggles and it's so much
fun.
So this is something I
think we as adults need
to relearn and reconcile.
(07:26):
I mean, when did movement
become so serious?
So playing has always been
a part of my life,
I'm happy to say, though
I get crushed with deadlines
and I work funny hours
and sometimes I need to
be reminded.
But I have built in
a system of reminders, some
of them visual in our
household.
(07:47):
It's sort of woven into
our daily routines.
And in part, yes, it's
because I have a young
child.
But even before my daughter
was born, we have had
a Nerf basketball hoop, mounted
much too high for any
child, to receive whatever we
feel like we want to
toss in it on a
given moment.
It might be the Nerf
(08:08):
basketball.
It might be a wad
of paper harking back to
the days of high school
and before when we've always
liked to do that, to
sink the basket with that
wad of paper.
Sometimes it's our clothing, our
laundry about to go into
the hoop.
But whatever it is, we
keep that front and center.
(08:28):
We have a jump rope
hanging by the door.
I think we actually have
two hanging on a hook
where we hang our backpacks
and jackets.
And we even have a
bingo cage that comes in
periodically and sort of comes
in and out of the
flow of the regular time.
This is because we actually
have been serious bingo callers.
(08:49):
This dates back a while
and may be a topic
for another episode to bring
in this story.
But we used to lead
Bingo with the Bazilians and
we became pretty serious.
It was a pretty serious
gig for us.
And during the pandemic, we
had to be creative like
we all had to be.
We didn't know what to
expect at the beginning.
And certainly we could go
(09:09):
outside and we live in
Southern California.
So we were able to
access some of that.
But playgrounds were off limits
for a time.
So we were limited to
our own outdoors.
So that's where we brought
a bucket swing indoors so
that we could use it
at other hours as well.
In fact, we hung it
on one of the strong
(09:30):
beams in our house in
our living room.
So we still have the
hooks up.
And periodically, we still bring
back in the things you
can hang in our living
room.
So we wanted to create
fun and play outdoors and
in.
But it's not just our
home.
Years ago, when I lived
in Brazil for a short
(09:50):
time, several months, I was
doing my master's thesis research
down in Northeast Brazil.
I discovered that playfulness is
actually built in to the
way of life in that
area.
And I would argue probably
all over that region.
We would visit friends and
there were always games.
(10:11):
And sort of like we
do have maybe family game
night.
And some families or individuals
are building in play,
so I encourage you to
write in or to share
your stories if you're doing
that.
But really, the version of
movie night or getting together
for dinner or something almost
always included some kind of
play.
And I know that this
(10:32):
happens here in the US
sometimes.
But it's certainly not the
norm unless we make it
so.
So anyway, I have a
lot of memories.
But one really popped up
in particular when I was
thinking about today and sitting
down here for talking about
recess.
And it was one that
occurred during a time when
Jason, who was my boyfriend
(10:53):
at the time of many
years already, but now 25
plus years, my spouse, he
came down for a visit
while I was doing my
research.
And we spent a weekend
at a little beach bungalow,
a little beach cottage of
our friends.
And all of us stayed
there.
We were sleeping in various
places.
It was probably around 10
of us.
(11:14):
And down in that area,
everything was really simple.
You really spread out wherever
you could find a space.
One of the coolest things
that I loved about, and
I think I've seen it
in other places in Brazil
as well, but almost every
room had some built in
hooks that you could then
hook up a hammock to
(11:35):
sleep in if you wanted
to or rest or have
leisure time, whatever it was.
And so we would all
sort of distribute ourselves across
a number of different bedrooms
and hook up our hammock.
And maybe there was a
better two in the room
as well.
And this was very typical.
And whether it was a
simple or fancy home, they
had these hooks.
(11:55):
Well, I recall one night
after we had like this
wonderful night and we had
it was games and we
were drinking caipirinhas, maybe one
too many.
And we finally retired into
the wee morning hours.
I remember waking up in
my hammock to a like
plunk, plunk, plunk, giggle, giggle,
laugh, laugh, pause. Plunk, plunk,
(12:17):
giggle, giggle, laugh, laugh, pause.
And I looked over to
Jason, who was like also
waking up in his hammock
hanging in the room and
we started laughing.
Of course, my friends were
out there.
Barely sunrise had come and
they were playing paddleball out
on the patio and they
were just having the best
(12:37):
time.
Bedhead didn't matter.
Sun up, however they're feeling.
They were doing it just
for the sheer joy of
it.
And that attitude really stuck.
This is a number of
years ago, making play an
everyday part of life.
And I only need to
sort of dip into my
memory to sort of re
(12:58):
-engage that and bring it
in.
It was just the natural
impulse to roll out of
bed in - for the whole
culture - basically what I saw.
And I hate to generalize,
but if I'm going to
make a generalization, this is
a really positive one.
I want to generalize about
what I experienced with the
Brazilian culture.
There was always a soccer
(13:19):
ball being kicked around.
There were always people, you
know, if the spirit moved
them getting up and dancing,
they didn't have to go
to a dance space.
They would just stand in
their chair and get up
or even practicing Capoeira, which
is a form of martial
arts that I took up,
which is actually a martial
arts, a sport.
It was always festive and
(13:41):
play-like and had music
and dance associated with it.
So it's something that I
brought forward and I wanted
to pass along to my
daughter.
And I hope I'm doing
a good job of that.
And I want to pass
a little along of that
to you as well, because
here's the thing:
Movement doesn't have to be
about achieving a goal or
(14:01):
ticking off a box like
you got the workout 'in'
today.
It can be uniquely and
unto itself about finding joy
in the moment.
And that's what recess really
is all about.
It's like sort of stepping
out of the grind for
the moment.
Think about how recess was
that break in school.
(14:21):
And it's not a grind,
but it's stepping out of
the more serious learning, the
mental engagement into our bodies.
It's letting go of the
shoulds and it's just playing.
So today I'm going to
borrow a little bit of
this Brazilian spirit, a little
bit of the childhood wonder
and talk about why bringing
recess back isn't just fun,
(14:42):
it's necessary for our health
and such a great way
to spend some of our
waking minutes, most, if not
every day.
All right, let's talk about
the rewards of bringing a
little recess back into our
adult lives, because while the
main goal is play for
the sheer joy of it,
the benefits of these small,
(15:04):
playful movements are backed by
science and may really resonate
with you moving forward.
So here's what you stand
to gain by embracing your
inner eight-year-old.
First of all, quick bursts
of exercise add up.
So even short bursts of
activity can have a big
(15:24):
impact.
Research has shown that just
10 minutes of moderate movement
each day can help prevent
obesity and reduce the risk
of chronic diseases.
And this is for kids
and adults alike.
In the short time you
can burn, say, an extra
50 calories a day, which
could add up to about
five pounds of weight loss
(15:46):
each year.
That's just a few minutes
added to the day doing
something that's fun.
Benefit number two, to feel
good and to reduce stress.
So connecting with childhood activities
can decrease stress and movement
can help release the feel
-good chemicals like endorphins, the
(16:07):
ones that are actually pain
-relieving and actually can help
comfort and bathe us in
a feeling of joy.
And those feel-good hormones
are called that for a
reason.
You add in a little
bit of laughter and some
smiles and you get even
a bigger boost.
In fact, you get a
boost of serotonin as well,
which is a natural stress
reliever that can promote a
(16:29):
sense of calm and promote
positivity.
So this means a more
calm, a more fun maybe,
and a more positive you.
Number three, better concentration.
And couldn't we all use
a little more of that?
Recess has shown to improve
concentration in school children.
And for adults, revisiting our
(16:50):
childhood activities can both help
with our brain memory and
our muscle memory, helping our
minds stay sharp and focused.
So when we remember things
like riding a bike...you know 'as
easy as getting back on
and riding a bike.'
If you learned it once,
you probably still know how.
Or reaching for the sky
(17:11):
on a swing set, you
know the motions.
Our bodies will respond with
familiarity, right?
And the skills that we
learned earlier in life.
And it translates to our
ability to focus and have
better concentration.
Benefit four, it all counts.
Every bit of movement is
(17:32):
exercise, ultimately.
Every bit of movement adds
up.
So we tend to think
in like an all-or
-nothing approach.
Instead of giving credit for
everything we do, we say,
oh, I didn't get my
30 minutes in today, or
I didn't get to the
gym.
Or, oh, I did do
my, quote "workout", and it's
something structured.
Will you win a marathon
(17:52):
by doing recess exercises?
No, maybe not.
But life really isn't all
about extreme efforts, is it?
It's about steady, meaningful inputs
that are sort of marathon
-like.
And it enhances our quality
of life.
And it is, in a
way, like an endurance race.
It's the little daily inputs
(18:13):
that have the longest positive
impact.
And it's not just about
living long here.
It's about living long well.
And next benefit, finally, is,
oh yeah, fun.
It turns out that fun
is good for you,
I'm glad to report.
So playing doesn't just feel
good, it's good for you.
Engaging in activities that spark
(18:34):
joy and bring smiles allows
us to tap areas of
our brain and body that
help us ultimately feel more
creative, more energetic, more productive,
and more confident.
These are all qualities of
a healthy mind and body.
And it just feels so
good.
And fun equals good.
(18:55):
Now let's take a moment
for our Mindful Minute together.
This is your chance to
pause, breathe, and reconnect.
Not just with the present
today, which I want you
to do, but with a
memory that makes you smile.
I'll set you up,
we'll take the minute together.
And then we'll reflect.
This is a perfect time
(19:16):
to reset, recharge, and today
we'll even bring a little
play into our mind.
Start by closing your eyes,
if you're not walking or
driving, of course.
Or just sort of tilt
them down at about a
natural gaze at about 45
degrees downward.
And relax.
And start some natural breathing.
(19:37):
Picture your favorite playground from
when you were a kid.
Take yourself back to some
playground.
It could have been at
school.
It could have been a
park.
It could have been your
backyard.
What did it look like?
Maybe there was a towering
slide.
I remember a few that
were metal and got very
hot in the summertime myself.
Maybe a swing set that
had a rhythmic creak that
(19:59):
you recall, or wobbled as
you tried to launch up
to the moon.
Or maybe it was the
monkey bars, you know, that
you would swing across.
Or as we sometimes managed
to do, I don't think
I could do it now,
climb on top of the
monkey bars and feel like
you're literally on top of
the world looking out.
So let's do one preparatory
(20:20):
breath together.
Take a slow, deep breath
in through the nose and
let it out through the
mouth.
I'll begin the timer.
Let's begin.
(20:48):
Imagine yourself standing there on
the playground.
Feel the ground under your
feet.
Is it gravel?
Those rubberized wood chips or
actual wood chips?
Grass?
Concrete?
Listen for the sounds.
Maybe some familiar laughter or
the rhythmic creaks of a
(21:09):
swing set.
The thunk of a familiar
ball hitting the pavement.
And picture yourself doing something
that you loved.
Was it the swings when
you soared higher and higher?
Or balancing on a curb
or a beam?
Let yourself experience a little
(21:29):
bit of that joy and
the freedom of play.
Take one last deep breath
in.
And let it out.
Okay, that's our Mindful Minute
plus a few seconds.
Bring back some of these
images you created and feelings
you had again during your
(21:50):
day or over the course
of the days.
And perhaps you can capture
some of that natural feeling,
that cellular and muscle memory
and the physiological feeling that
play gave you.
And picture it now and
again.
Thank you for taking this
time to reconnect with the
(22:10):
sense of playfulness and joy
with this.
And now we're going to
bring the lightness and energy
into the rest of our
day.
And we're going to talk
about some practical ways to
reinvent recess in your life.
Thank you for sharing that
Mindful Minute with me.
All right, now that we've
reconnected with the joy of
recess, let's talk about some
(22:31):
practical ways you can bring
that energy into your day
-to-day life.
These tips are all about
simplicity and making movement feel
more like play and a
little less like work.
Let's think about rebooting or
reinventing recess.
And it could even happen
like it did with us
in your living room.
So that's where I'm going
(22:51):
to start.
Bring recess indoors.
You don't need a playground
to play.
Plenty of recess-style moves
can be done in your
own home with just your
body.
And you can even imagine
some of the equipment and
still have fun.
You can even do it
while you're watching a TV
show or waiting for someone
(23:12):
to get ready for something
or somewhere to go.
So here are just a
few, for example.
And I have a big
long list of these if
you want more.
Sitting swings.
Sitting swing set or swings.
So you can sit in
your chair and you can
mimic the swinging movement by
pumping your arms back and
forth as you used to
on a swing and leaning
(23:35):
and rocking gently forward and
back and engage your abs
as you do that.
The more that you can
sort of feel and internalize
what it used to feel
like on a swing or
better yet, next time you're
at a playground, get on
one and remind your cells
and your muscles what it
feels like.
But you can actually engage
your core, rocking back and
(23:56):
forth and feeling a bit
of that freedom and movement.
It's great for your core,
your abs, your posture.
And we know that core
strength is associated with reducing
back pain and lower risk
of injuries.
So some of these can
be really simple, as I
mentioned.
Another one is monkey bars.
Now, I'm not expecting you
to install monkey bars into
(24:17):
your home, although I do
have a couple friends, one
who's in Chicago who did
just that in her basement.
But you can stand or
sit and make circular arm
movements as if you're reaching
forward the bars overhead.
And it can help with
some shoulder flexibility, some circular
motion, sort of lubricating your
(24:38):
joints.
And when you're seated, it
can actually bring some blood
flow up to your arms,
your hands, and your brain.
It can warm you up.
So the movement is really
just mimicking the jungle gym
with making circular movements as
you crawl across the monkey
bars.
It's probably a little easier
than having to suspend your
full weight as well.
(24:59):
Another one, seesaws, I'm going
to say, aka squats.
No one really likes to
say the word or do
squats, except for the very,
very intense, intensely engaged athletes
and people who really, really
love the results that they
give.
But seesaw movement can be
like doing squats.
And if squats and lunges
(25:21):
make you cringe or just
settle back into your chair,
think about the way the
seesaw engaged your legs.
The truth is pushing up
and down from a seated
position is a key maneuver
that can help prolong a
healthy life.
There are even studies that
support how important it is
to be able to do
lunges and squats.
(25:42):
Think about getting up from
a chair or getting up
from the floor.
So you envision the teeter
-totter, the seesaw, while you
push up and down with
your quads in and out
of a chair, squatting and
strengthening your legs.
Keep it simple.
Be mindful and respectful of
your own limitations.
But leg strength has been
(26:03):
tagged as a risk factor
for decreased longevity if you
don't have it - weak leg
strength - quality of life, and
increased risk of falls.
That's a good one too.
And then I thought I
would mention Hokey Pokey because
it's a classic song.
And if you put your
left foot in and your
left foot out, you put
your left foot in and
you shake it all about,
(26:23):
I mean, it's silly, but
it's so good for balance.
Think about balance.
It gets the blood flowing.
It brings a smile to
your face.
And it can be done
very simply in any location
during a commercial break, while
dinner is cooking, when you're
on hold for maybe the
somewhat annoying customer service calls
that we all have to
(26:43):
deal with.
And of course, it makes
us smile.
There's other ones that go
along with this.
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
comes to mind.
Another favorite.
And you can certainly expand
the list.
I have a whole long
list, as I mentioned, and
happy to share more.
Number two, take it outside.
So nothing is as freeing
and recess-like as recreating
the games of childhood.
(27:04):
In the open air, get
out there, go to the
park if you can.
When was the last time
you got on a swing?
Go do it.
Can you hang from a
monkey bar any more?
And are you up for
the challenge?
What about jumping between rocks?
Again, carefully.
Watch your limitations and start
slow.
Or imaginary rocks on the
(27:24):
grass.
Or playing hopscotch.
All you need is some
sidewalk chalk.
Or just invent it with
your mind across your path.
When the weather allows, step
into the great outdoors.
It's really such a great
environment to make the world
your playground -
literally.
You've probably heard that.
Make the world your playground.
We really should do it.
(27:46):
So these are some ways
to do it.
Also, you can find things
like a curb, a low
wall, or even just a
line along a pathway to
walk the line and practice
balance and coordination and the
sort of heel-toe-heel
-toe progression that we're actually
doing in PE in my
(28:07):
daughter's class.
Third, play with your people.
You know, the people around
you.
They can be your family.
They can be your friends.
They can even be co
-workers if you're brave and
you have that kind of
relationship with them.
Your kids, your grandkids, and
your furry family as well.
Pets.
Movement is certainly more fun
(28:27):
when it's shared.
We certainly tend to do
more if we're doing it
together and we commit to
each other.
So play some games like
cornhole or kickball.
Or remember croquet?
Maybe set out some croquet.
Or make up your own
version.
How about bocce?
We played the most fun
I remember - of bocce -
(28:47):
I mean, I couldn't remember
playing it in many years,
but last Christmas with some
dear friends that I had
known since childhood down in
Florida on Christmas Eve.
It was so much fun.
You can crab walk.
You can do field day
type races.
You can create mini obstacle
courses in your own yard.
(29:08):
If you're feeling uninspired for
how to do that again,
get a child to help
set it up if you
need.
Or tap your memories.
You'll remember how easy it
is and how it didn't
take big orchestration to do
this.
If you have a jump
rope, and you can even
do this with an imaginary
jump rope, but jump rope
with a friend.
Challenge each other how many
(29:29):
jumps you can do.
Or even can you do
one anymore and get yourself
back up to speed with
the jump rope.
A friend of mine actually
volunteers teaching.
She was a jump rope
artist, let me call it,
and still is.
and she teaches youth how
to jump rope.
So she can probably show
off a few tricks and
(29:51):
you can do that with
a friend.
I can't wait to see
her so that she can
teach me a few and
we can share that together.
Next, and this is important
when we're talking about our
precious waking minutes, schedule recess.
Just like in school, schedule
a recess break in your
day.
This one gets to our
time and making time, taking
(30:11):
time, and prioritizing this for
your fun, for your life,
and for your health.
So even 15 minutes, like
I mentioned when we were
talking about the benefits, can
make a big difference in
multiple ways, physical health as
well as your mental health.
So set a timer if
you need to.
And this is really your
time to disconnect from work
(30:32):
and reconnect to movement and
joy.
This is not work, this
is play.
And finally, I'd like to
add, be spontaneous to the
list of tips.
Sometimes the best play happens
when we sort of just
let down our guard and
you're not planning it.
If you hear a great
song, dance.
Just dance in your kitchen.
(30:54):
Be waiting for dinner to
cook.
Do a few squats or
pretend to jump rope.
Are you on hold for
that call?
Obviously, I've had a few
of those lately.
Stretch or move in a
way that feels good so
that you're making use of
your time and you'll remember
it a little bit differently
as well.
Play doesn't have to be
perfect.
It just has to be
(31:15):
fun.
And these are just a
couple ideas for small moments
of movements that can make
a big difference to your
fun factor, your overall well
-being, and not just your
body, though that one's an
important one too.
So those are the tips
for today.
And as we get near
the end of this episode,
(31:35):
I encourage you, encourage me,
to take a to reflect
together about this idea.
What did recess mean to
you and us as a
child?
Was it freedom from the
classroom?
Was it a chance to
laugh with your friends?
Or just time to get
out of the classroom and
move your body and have
a little fun and let
loose?
(31:56):
And now think about your
life today.
Where can you create a
little bit of space for
this kind of joy?
Is it free-spirited, unstructured,
just having fun?
Maybe it's a quick dance
break between meetings.
Maybe it's a walk with
a friend.
Or even five minutes of
silly movement in your living
(32:16):
room.
And trying some of these
sort of indoor recess activities
I mentioned.
Let's bring it further by
asking what's one small way
you can bring a little
recess back into your life
this week?
One small way.
A little recess.
I hope that you'll write
me about that because I
would love, love, love to
(32:36):
hear.
Take a moment to think
about it now or at
the end of this episode.
And if you're feeling inspired,
I'd love for you to
share it and your thoughts
with me.
And I'll share mine in
the time ahead.
Maybe it's a story from
your own childhood and how
you can reclaim recess as
an adult.
I hope you find that
joy.
So to recap what we've
covered today (32:57):
we started by
reminiscing about recess,
the joyful, carefree moments that
brought movement and fun into
our childhood lives as kids.
We talked about how as
adults, we often lose the
sense of play and we
put in the idea of
exercise as work.
The work out.
But what if we could
(33:18):
turn things around and bring
a little play back into
our lives and reframe and
reword what we're doing?
I shared some personal stories,
of course, about volunteering at
my daughter's school, a little
bit of our pandemic-related
swing fun in the living
(33:38):
room, and also what my
experience was with the Brazilian
culture during my research living
there and what inspired me
really to connect with this
and bring it home.
I think it was there,
if I had to say,
that really showed me that
play could be part of
every day, whether you're a
child, adult, no matter where
(33:59):
in your life stage, that
they're woven into our day.
I hope the ROIs or
the evidence that I provided
gave you the credibility, the
validity, and why it's good
for your health.
It's another good reason to
justify its existence as if
we need that in boosting
focus and memory, in helping
reduce stress.
(34:20):
And it's backed up by
research that small moments and
small movements can help.
And then we talked practical
tips.
So I hope that some
of those will come into
your local park again, into
your kitchen, in your living
room, and maybe I'll catch
you doing a little hopscotch
outside with some chalk or
just your imagination.
(34:42):
So here's your homework for
the week.
Take 5, 10, maybe 15
minutes for recess.
Make it playful, make it
fun, and make it yours.
And if you do, I'd
love to hear about it.
Thank you for sharing a
few of your waking minutes
with me today as we
explore the joy of recess
coming back into our lives.
(35:03):
It means so much to
me to have you here
sincerely, part of this journey,
on this podcast, and on
this planet.
I'm Wendy Bazilian.
This is 1,000 Waking Minutes.
And until next time, have
fun and be well.
Thank you for tuning in
to 1,000 Waking Minutes.
(35:23):
A huge thank you to
our amazing collaborators, including our
production and marketing teams and
Gabriella Escalante in particular.
To the ultra talented Beza
for my theme music, my
lifelong friend and artist, Pearl
Preis Photography and Design.
To Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen,
Joanna Powell, and of course,
my family, and everyone working
(35:44):
tirelessly behind the scenes.
And to you, our valued
listeners, I so appreciate your
support.
If you enjoyed today's episode,
please consider leaving a comment,
writing a review, and giving
1,000 Waking Minutes, that's us,
a 5-star rating.
And please hit subscribe on
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(36:04):
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And don't forget to share
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Your support helps us grow
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Until next time, find some
simple opportunities to optimize those
1,000 Waking Minutes each day.
(36:40):
I'm sayin' Yes to better days, Yes, it's on my way, Yes, It's gonna be ok, yeah!
But what if we could
take the work out of
workouts and put the play
back into our days?
I'm sharing why it matters
for your health and the
science to back it up.
Let's re-invent recess.
We experience 1,000 waking minutes
on average every day.
How are you spending yours?
(00:21):
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and
you're listening to 1,000 Waking
Minutes.
I can't wait to connect
with you here with practical
ways to eat well, move
daily, and be healthy.
To optimize every waking minute
you live for a happier,
healthier life.
Thank you for sharing some
of your waking minutes with
me today.
Let's get started.
(00:43):
I'm saying yes to better
days, yes.
I'm on my way, yes.
It's gonna be okay, yeah.
Good day to you and
welcome back to 1,000 Waking
(01:04):
Minutes, the podcast where we
explore how to make the
most of our days into
weeks, into months, into time
for a healthy, well-lived
life by evaluating our waking
minutes each day.
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and
today we're talking about something
I think you're going to
love, especially if you've ever
(01:25):
found yourself sort of longing
for the simple, more playful
days of youth.
So let me ask you
a question.
When was the last time
you thought about recess?
You know, the magical, whimsical
minutes in the middle of
our school days back on
(01:46):
the playground.
I bet you can picture
it.
I can still hear the
sounds of my own playground,
the squeal of my classmates,
the squeak of chains on
our playground equipment.
And I am fortunate because
where I live, actually, when
the wind turns a certain
direction, we have an elementary
(02:08):
school down the hill from
us a little bit in
the distance, and I can
hear the playground there.
So I get the real
live exposure as well as
with my daughter in her
school.
So do you remember the
sounds?
Think about it.
Maybe you can hear the
slap of jump ropes on
the pavement or the thunk
(02:29):
of that kickball.
We always had those red,
super bouncy kickballs, and when
someone would connect with it,
you could hear sort of
that boing type of sound,
all the cool things on
the monkey bars and sort
of people just enthusiastically exclaiming
and jumping and having fun.
Really, it was like hearing
the feeling of freedom that
(02:50):
came with recess.
But somewhere along the way,
many of us lost the
sense of play in that
free-spirited way, that release
of unstructured playtime, maybe.
And as adults, we have
replaced recess with routine, and
we've swapped playtime for productivity.
(03:15):
And when it comes to
movement or exercise, we even
call it a workout.
Have you ever thought about
that?
Think about that for a
moment.
We put the word work
into our movement and exercise.
So today, I want to
rethink all of that.
We're going to explore how
to take the work out
of workouts and bring the
(03:36):
play back into our every
day and into some of
those waking minutes, because let's
be honest, playing hard sounds
a lot more fun than
working hard.
I hope you agree.
So grab a seat or
actually go skip outside with
your earbuds on and get
ready to move, both in
(03:57):
our mind, back to a
time of recess as we
start reinventing recess together for
our lives today.
So let me share a
little bit about what got
me thinking about this idea
for an episode, but also
the idea of recess for
grownups.
Almost every week, unless I'm
(04:18):
traveling on business on that
particular day, and I do
try to schedule my travel
so it doesn't intersect with
this.
But I volunteer at my
daughter's P.E. class.
It's not called gym there
anymore.
I don't know if you've
gotten the memo, but at
our school, it's P.E.
And in fact, my daughter
didn't know what P.E.
(04:38):
stood for until recently when
we talked about physical exercise
was the acronym.
And my time there is
one of the absolute highlights
of my week.
Watching the kids just dive
into movement, whether it's running
around, their sort of gregarious
play.
They're playing various versions of
(04:59):
tag that we did when
we were growing up called
sharks and minnows or Halloween
themed ones where it's witches
and goblins chasing around a
pool noodle -
only shoulders or lower - as
the tagging instrument.
Learning about tossing a ball
properly, you step, you swing,
you toss or beanbags, of
(05:20):
course, and doing partner skills.
I think last week we
did hula hoops and soccer
balls.
It's so much fun.
It's a lot of joy.
It's certainly some chaos.
And I really adore Coach
Weiss, our P.E. coach
who has been at the
school for eight years already.
Apparently, I have earned the
(05:42):
distinction of his first volunteer
ever.
And I earned my way
in by celebrating the fact
that I could jump rope.
I could wipe noses.
I could help wrangle and
demonstrate.
Into probably one month into
volunteering, I also shared that
I'm certified in CPR and
also an exercise physiologist, but
(06:02):
didn't lead with that.
I just wanted to be
a mom volunteering for P.E.
But Coach Weiss, he
is a tremendous teacher.
He has to be, as
you can imagine, a very
good wrangler.
And he's an all around
good sport, literally.
The one thing, though, that
I've noticed is that the
children are not thinking about
(06:24):
the calories they're burning or
the muscle groups that they're
targeting.
And should this cause concern?
No, indeed, it should not,
of course. (You were probably
going with like, "what is
she thinking about?")
They are doing the same
things we're doing when we're
out there exercising or getting
a workout.
But they're not translating it
in the least to these
(06:45):
things that we think about
on a regular basis when
it comes to exercise meets
health.
They're practicing coordination.
They're practicing balance.
They're doing aerobic activity.
They're engaging different muscle groups
and they're moving. And they're
moving just because it's fun.
In fact, they separate the
(07:05):
idea of being tired from
I want to run a
lap.
That's something that always fascinates
me.
They say, oh, I'm so
tired, Coach Weiss.
And then they want to
take a break and say,
can I run a lap?
It just gives me the
giggles and it's so much
fun.
So this is something I
think we as adults need
to relearn and reconcile.
(07:26):
I mean, when did movement
become so serious?
So playing has always been
a part of my life,
I'm happy to say, though
I get crushed with deadlines
and I work funny hours
and sometimes I need to
be reminded.
But I have built in
a system of reminders, some
of them visual in our
household.
(07:47):
It's sort of woven into
our daily routines.
And in part, yes, it's
because I have a young
child.
But even before my daughter
was born, we have had
a Nerf basketball hoop, mounted
much too high for any
child, to receive whatever we
feel like we want to
toss in it on a
given moment.
It might be the Nerf
(08:08):
basketball.
It might be a wad
of paper harking back to
the days of high school
and before when we've always
liked to do that, to
sink the basket with that
wad of paper.
Sometimes it's our clothing, our
laundry about to go into
the hoop.
But whatever it is, we
keep that front and center.
(08:28):
We have a jump rope
hanging by the door.
I think we actually have
two hanging on a hook
where we hang our backpacks
and jackets.
And we even have a
bingo cage that comes in
periodically and sort of comes
in and out of the
flow of the regular time.
This is because we actually
have been serious bingo callers.
(08:49):
This dates back a while
and may be a topic
for another episode to bring
in this story.
But we used to lead
Bingo with the Bazilians and
we became pretty serious.
It was a pretty serious
gig for us.
And during the pandemic, we
had to be creative like
we all had to be.
We didn't know what to
expect at the beginning.
And certainly we could go
(09:09):
outside and we live in
Southern California.
So we were able to
access some of that.
But playgrounds were off limits
for a time.
So we were limited to
our own outdoors.
So that's where we brought
a bucket swing indoors so
that we could use it
at other hours as well.
In fact, we hung it
on one of the strong
(09:30):
beams in our house in
our living room.
So we still have the
hooks up.
And periodically, we still bring
back in the things you
can hang in our living
room.
So we wanted to create
fun and play outdoors and
in.
But it's not just our
home.
Years ago, when I lived
in Brazil for a short
(09:50):
time, several months, I was
doing my master's thesis research
down in Northeast Brazil.
I discovered that playfulness is
actually built in to the
way of life in that
area.
And I would argue probably
all over that region.
We would visit friends and
there were always games.
(10:11):
And sort of like we
do have maybe family game
night.
And some families or individuals
are building in play,
so I encourage you to
write in or to share
your stories if you're doing
that.
But really, the version of
movie night or getting together
for dinner or something almost
always included some kind of
play.
And I know that this
(10:32):
happens here in the US
sometimes.
But it's certainly not the
norm unless we make it
so.
So anyway, I have a
lot of memories.
But one really popped up
in particular when I was
thinking about today and sitting
down here for talking about
recess.
And it was one that
occurred during a time when
Jason, who was my boyfriend
(10:53):
at the time of many
years already, but now 25
plus years, my spouse, he
came down for a visit
while I was doing my
research.
And we spent a weekend
at a little beach bungalow,
a little beach cottage of
our friends.
And all of us stayed
there.
We were sleeping in various
places.
It was probably around 10
of us.
(11:14):
And down in that area,
everything was really simple.
You really spread out wherever
you could find a space.
One of the coolest things
that I loved about, and
I think I've seen it
in other places in Brazil
as well, but almost every
room had some built in
hooks that you could then
hook up a hammock to
(11:35):
sleep in if you wanted
to or rest or have
leisure time, whatever it was.
And so we would all
sort of distribute ourselves across
a number of different bedrooms
and hook up our hammock.
And maybe there was a
better two in the room
as well.
And this was very typical.
And whether it was a
simple or fancy home, they
had these hooks.
(11:55):
Well, I recall one night
after we had like this
wonderful night and we had
it was games and we
were drinking caipirinhas, maybe one
too many.
And we finally retired into
the wee morning hours.
I remember waking up in
my hammock to a like
plunk, plunk, plunk, giggle, giggle,
laugh, laugh, pause. Plunk, plunk,
(12:17):
giggle, giggle, laugh, laugh, pause.
And I looked over to
Jason, who was like also
waking up in his hammock
hanging in the room and
we started laughing.
Of course, my friends were
out there.
Barely sunrise had come and
they were playing paddleball out
on the patio and they
were just having the best
(12:37):
time.
Bedhead didn't matter.
Sun up, however they're feeling.
They were doing it just
for the sheer joy of
it.
And that attitude really stuck.
This is a number of
years ago, making play an
everyday part of life.
And I only need to
sort of dip into my
memory to sort of re
(12:58):
-engage that and bring it
in.
It was just the natural
impulse to roll out of
bed in - for the whole
culture - basically what I saw.
And I hate to generalize,
but if I'm going to
make a generalization, this is
a really positive one.
I want to generalize about
what I experienced with the
Brazilian culture.
There was always a soccer
(13:19):
ball being kicked around.
There were always people, you
know, if the spirit moved
them getting up and dancing,
they didn't have to go
to a dance space.
They would just stand in
their chair and get up
or even practicing Capoeira, which
is a form of martial
arts that I took up,
which is actually a martial
arts, a sport.
It was always festive and
(13:41):
play-like and had music
and dance associated with it.
So it's something that I
brought forward and I wanted
to pass along to my
daughter.
And I hope I'm doing
a good job of that.
And I want to pass
a little along of that
to you as well, because
here's the thing:
Movement doesn't have to be
about achieving a goal or
(14:01):
ticking off a box like
you got the workout 'in'
today.
It can be uniquely and
unto itself about finding joy
in the moment.
And that's what recess really
is all about.
It's like sort of stepping
out of the grind for
the moment.
Think about how recess was
that break in school.
(14:21):
And it's not a grind,
but it's stepping out of
the more serious learning, the
mental engagement into our bodies.
It's letting go of the
shoulds and it's just playing.
So today I'm going to
borrow a little bit of
this Brazilian spirit, a little
bit of the childhood wonder
and talk about why bringing
recess back isn't just fun,
(14:42):
it's necessary for our health
and such a great way
to spend some of our
waking minutes, most, if not
every day.
All right, let's talk about
the rewards of bringing a
little recess back into our
adult lives, because while the
main goal is play for
the sheer joy of it,
the benefits of these small,
(15:04):
playful movements are backed by
science and may really resonate
with you moving forward.
So here's what you stand
to gain by embracing your
inner eight-year-old.
First of all, quick bursts
of exercise add up.
So even short bursts of
activity can have a big
(15:24):
impact.
Research has shown that just
10 minutes of moderate movement
each day can help prevent
obesity and reduce the risk
of chronic diseases.
And this is for kids
and adults alike.
In the short time you
can burn, say, an extra
50 calories a day, which
could add up to about
five pounds of weight loss
(15:46):
each year.
That's just a few minutes
added to the day doing
something that's fun.
Benefit number two, to feel
good and to reduce stress.
So connecting with childhood activities
can decrease stress and movement
can help release the feel
-good chemicals like endorphins, the
(16:07):
ones that are actually pain
-relieving and actually can help
comfort and bathe us in
a feeling of joy.
And those feel-good hormones
are called that for a
reason.
You add in a little
bit of laughter and some
smiles and you get even
a bigger boost.
In fact, you get a
boost of serotonin as well,
which is a natural stress
reliever that can promote a
(16:29):
sense of calm and promote
positivity.
So this means a more
calm, a more fun maybe,
and a more positive you.
Number three, better concentration.
And couldn't we all use
a little more of that?
Recess has shown to improve
concentration in school children.
And for adults, revisiting our
(16:50):
childhood activities can both help
with our brain memory and
our muscle memory, helping our
minds stay sharp and focused.
So when we remember things
like riding a bike...you know 'as
easy as getting back on
and riding a bike.'
If you learned it once,
you probably still know how.
Or reaching for the sky
(17:11):
on a swing set, you
know the motions.
Our bodies will respond with
familiarity, right?
And the skills that we
learned earlier in life.
And it translates to our
ability to focus and have
better concentration.
Benefit four, it all counts.
Every bit of movement is
(17:32):
exercise, ultimately.
Every bit of movement adds
up.
So we tend to think
in like an all-or
-nothing approach.
Instead of giving credit for
everything we do, we say,
oh, I didn't get my
30 minutes in today, or
I didn't get to the
gym.
Or, oh, I did do
my, quote "workout", and it's
something structured.
Will you win a marathon
(17:52):
by doing recess exercises?
No, maybe not.
But life really isn't all
about extreme efforts, is it?
It's about steady, meaningful inputs
that are sort of marathon
-like.
And it enhances our quality
of life.
And it is, in a
way, like an endurance race.
It's the little daily inputs
(18:13):
that have the longest positive
impact.
And it's not just about
living long here.
It's about living long well.
And next benefit, finally, is,
oh yeah, fun.
It turns out that fun
is good for you,
I'm glad to report.
So playing doesn't just feel
good, it's good for you.
Engaging in activities that spark
(18:34):
joy and bring smiles allows
us to tap areas of
our brain and body that
help us ultimately feel more
creative, more energetic, more productive,
and more confident.
These are all qualities of
a healthy mind and body.
And it just feels so
good.
And fun equals good.
(18:55):
Now let's take a moment
for our Mindful Minute together.
This is your chance to
pause, breathe, and reconnect.
Not just with the present
today, which I want you
to do, but with a
memory that makes you smile.
I'll set you up,
we'll take the minute together.
And then we'll reflect.
This is a perfect time
(19:16):
to reset, recharge, and today
we'll even bring a little
play into our mind.
Start by closing your eyes,
if you're not walking or
driving, of course.
Or just sort of tilt
them down at about a
natural gaze at about 45
degrees downward.
And relax.
And start some natural breathing.
(19:37):
Picture your favorite playground from
when you were a kid.
Take yourself back to some
playground.
It could have been at
school.
It could have been a
park.
It could have been your
backyard.
What did it look like?
Maybe there was a towering
slide.
I remember a few that
were metal and got very
hot in the summertime myself.
Maybe a swing set that
had a rhythmic creak that
(19:59):
you recall, or wobbled as
you tried to launch up
to the moon.
Or maybe it was the
monkey bars, you know, that
you would swing across.
Or as we sometimes managed
to do, I don't think
I could do it now,
climb on top of the
monkey bars and feel like
you're literally on top of
the world looking out.
So let's do one preparatory
(20:20):
breath together.
Take a slow, deep breath
in through the nose and
let it out through the
mouth.
I'll begin the timer.
Let's begin.
(20:48):
Imagine yourself standing there on
the playground.
Feel the ground under your
feet.
Is it gravel?
Those rubberized wood chips or
actual wood chips?
Grass?
Concrete?
Listen for the sounds.
Maybe some familiar laughter or
the rhythmic creaks of a
(21:09):
swing set.
The thunk of a familiar
ball hitting the pavement.
And picture yourself doing something
that you loved.
Was it the swings when
you soared higher and higher?
Or balancing on a curb
or a beam?
Let yourself experience a little
(21:29):
bit of that joy and
the freedom of play.
Take one last deep breath
in.
And let it out.
Okay, that's our Mindful Minute
plus a few seconds.
Bring back some of these
images you created and feelings
you had again during your
(21:50):
day or over the course
of the days.
And perhaps you can capture
some of that natural feeling,
that cellular and muscle memory
and the physiological feeling that
play gave you.
And picture it now and
again.
Thank you for taking this
time to reconnect with the
(22:10):
sense of playfulness and joy
with this.
And now we're going to
bring the lightness and energy
into the rest of our
day.
And we're going to talk
about some practical ways to
reinvent recess in your life.
Thank you for sharing that
Mindful Minute with me.
All right, now that we've
reconnected with the joy of
recess, let's talk about some
(22:31):
practical ways you can bring
that energy into your day
-to-day life.
These tips are all about
simplicity and making movement feel
more like play and a
little less like work.
Let's think about rebooting or
reinventing recess.
And it could even happen
like it did with us
in your living room.
So that's where I'm going
(22:51):
to start.
Bring recess indoors.
You don't need a playground
to play.
Plenty of recess-style moves
can be done in your
own home with just your
body.
And you can even imagine
some of the equipment and
still have fun.
You can even do it
while you're watching a TV
show or waiting for someone
(23:12):
to get ready for something
or somewhere to go.
So here are just a
few, for example.
And I have a big
long list of these if
you want more.
Sitting swings.
Sitting swing set or swings.
So you can sit in
your chair and you can
mimic the swinging movement by
pumping your arms back and
forth as you used to
on a swing and leaning
(23:35):
and rocking gently forward and
back and engage your abs
as you do that.
The more that you can
sort of feel and internalize
what it used to feel
like on a swing or
better yet, next time you're
at a playground, get on
one and remind your cells
and your muscles what it
feels like.
But you can actually engage
your core, rocking back and
(23:56):
forth and feeling a bit
of that freedom and movement.
It's great for your core,
your abs, your posture.
And we know that core
strength is associated with reducing
back pain and lower risk
of injuries.
So some of these can
be really simple, as I
mentioned.
Another one is monkey bars.
Now, I'm not expecting you
to install monkey bars into
(24:17):
your home, although I do
have a couple friends, one
who's in Chicago who did
just that in her basement.
But you can stand or
sit and make circular arm
movements as if you're reaching
forward the bars overhead.
And it can help with
some shoulder flexibility, some circular
motion, sort of lubricating your
(24:38):
joints.
And when you're seated, it
can actually bring some blood
flow up to your arms,
your hands, and your brain.
It can warm you up.
So the movement is really
just mimicking the jungle gym
with making circular movements as
you crawl across the monkey
bars.
It's probably a little easier
than having to suspend your
full weight as well.
(24:59):
Another one, seesaws, I'm going
to say, aka squats.
No one really likes to
say the word or do
squats, except for the very,
very intense, intensely engaged athletes
and people who really, really
love the results that they
give.
But seesaw movement can be
like doing squats.
And if squats and lunges
(25:21):
make you cringe or just
settle back into your chair,
think about the way the
seesaw engaged your legs.
The truth is pushing up
and down from a seated
position is a key maneuver
that can help prolong a
healthy life.
There are even studies that
support how important it is
to be able to do
lunges and squats.
(25:42):
Think about getting up from
a chair or getting up
from the floor.
So you envision the teeter
-totter, the seesaw, while you
push up and down with
your quads in and out
of a chair, squatting and
strengthening your legs.
Keep it simple.
Be mindful and respectful of
your own limitations.
But leg strength has been
(26:03):
tagged as a risk factor
for decreased longevity if you
don't have it - weak leg
strength - quality of life, and
increased risk of falls.
That's a good one too.
And then I thought I
would mention Hokey Pokey because
it's a classic song.
And if you put your
left foot in and your
left foot out, you put
your left foot in and
you shake it all about,
(26:23):
I mean, it's silly, but
it's so good for balance.
Think about balance.
It gets the blood flowing.
It brings a smile to
your face.
And it can be done
very simply in any location
during a commercial break, while
dinner is cooking, when you're
on hold for maybe the
somewhat annoying customer service calls
that we all have to
(26:43):
deal with.
And of course, it makes
us smile.
There's other ones that go
along with this.
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
comes to mind.
Another favorite.
And you can certainly expand
the list.
I have a whole long
list, as I mentioned, and
happy to share more.
Number two, take it outside.
So nothing is as freeing
and recess-like as recreating
the games of childhood.
(27:04):
In the open air, get
out there, go to the
park if you can.
When was the last time
you got on a swing?
Go do it.
Can you hang from a
monkey bar any more?
And are you up for
the challenge?
What about jumping between rocks?
Again, carefully.
Watch your limitations and start
slow.
Or imaginary rocks on the
(27:24):
grass.
Or playing hopscotch.
All you need is some
sidewalk chalk.
Or just invent it with
your mind across your path.
When the weather allows, step
into the great outdoors.
It's really such a great
environment to make the world
your playground -
literally.
You've probably heard that.
Make the world your playground.
We really should do it.
(27:46):
So these are some ways
to do it.
Also, you can find things
like a curb, a low
wall, or even just a
line along a pathway to
walk the line and practice
balance and coordination and the
sort of heel-toe-heel
-toe progression that we're actually
doing in PE in my
(28:07):
daughter's class.
Third, play with your people.
You know, the people around
you.
They can be your family.
They can be your friends.
They can even be co
-workers if you're brave and
you have that kind of
relationship with them.
Your kids, your grandkids, and
your furry family as well.
Pets.
Movement is certainly more fun
(28:27):
when it's shared.
We certainly tend to do
more if we're doing it
together and we commit to
each other.
So play some games like
cornhole or kickball.
Or remember croquet?
Maybe set out some croquet.
Or make up your own
version.
How about bocce?
We played the most fun
I remember - of bocce -
(28:47):
I mean, I couldn't remember
playing it in many years,
but last Christmas with some
dear friends that I had
known since childhood down in
Florida on Christmas Eve.
It was so much fun.
You can crab walk.
You can do field day
type races.
You can create mini obstacle
courses in your own yard.
(29:08):
If you're feeling uninspired for
how to do that again,
get a child to help
set it up if you
need.
Or tap your memories.
You'll remember how easy it
is and how it didn't
take big orchestration to do
this.
If you have a jump
rope, and you can even
do this with an imaginary
jump rope, but jump rope
with a friend.
Challenge each other how many
(29:29):
jumps you can do.
Or even can you do
one anymore and get yourself
back up to speed with
the jump rope.
A friend of mine actually
volunteers teaching.
She was a jump rope
artist, let me call it,
and still is.
and she teaches youth how
to jump rope.
So she can probably show
off a few tricks and
(29:51):
you can do that with
a friend.
I can't wait to see
her so that she can
teach me a few and
we can share that together.
Next, and this is important
when we're talking about our
precious waking minutes, schedule recess.
Just like in school, schedule
a recess break in your
day.
This one gets to our
time and making time, taking
(30:11):
time, and prioritizing this for
your fun, for your life,
and for your health.
So even 15 minutes, like
I mentioned when we were
talking about the benefits, can
make a big difference in
multiple ways, physical health as
well as your mental health.
So set a timer if
you need to.
And this is really your
time to disconnect from work
(30:32):
and reconnect to movement and
joy.
This is not work, this
is play.
And finally, I'd like to
add, be spontaneous to the
list of tips.
Sometimes the best play happens
when we sort of just
let down our guard and
you're not planning it.
If you hear a great
song, dance.
Just dance in your kitchen.
(30:54):
Be waiting for dinner to
cook.
Do a few squats or
pretend to jump rope.
Are you on hold for
that call?
Obviously, I've had a few
of those lately.
Stretch or move in a
way that feels good so
that you're making use of
your time and you'll remember
it a little bit differently
as well.
Play doesn't have to be
perfect.
It just has to be
(31:15):
fun.
And these are just a
couple ideas for small moments
of movements that can make
a big difference to your
fun factor, your overall well
-being, and not just your
body, though that one's an
important one too.
So those are the tips
for today.
And as we get near
the end of this episode,
(31:35):
I encourage you, encourage me,
to take a to reflect
together about this idea.
What did recess mean to
you and us as a
child?
Was it freedom from the
classroom?
Was it a chance to
laugh with your friends?
Or just time to get
out of the classroom and
move your body and have
a little fun and let
loose?
(31:56):
And now think about your
life today.
Where can you create a
little bit of space for
this kind of joy?
Is it free-spirited, unstructured,
just having fun?
Maybe it's a quick dance
break between meetings.
Maybe it's a walk with
a friend.
Or even five minutes of
silly movement in your living
(32:16):
room.
And trying some of these
sort of indoor recess activities
I mentioned.
Let's bring it further by
asking what's one small way
you can bring a little
recess back into your life
this week?
One small way.
A little recess.
I hope that you'll write
me about that because I
would love, love, love to
(32:36):
hear.
Take a moment to think
about it now or at
the end of this episode.
And if you're feeling inspired,
I'd love for you to
share it and your thoughts
with me.
And I'll share mine in
the time ahead.
Maybe it's a story from
your own childhood and how
you can reclaim recess as
an adult.
I hope you find that
joy.
So to recap what we've
covered today (32:57):
we started by
reminiscing about recess,
the joyful, carefree moments that
brought movement and fun into
our childhood lives as kids.
We talked about how as
adults, we often lose the
sense of play and we
put in the idea of
exercise as work.
The work out.
But what if we could
(33:18):
turn things around and bring
a little play back into
our lives and reframe and
reword what we're doing?
I shared some personal stories,
of course, about volunteering at
my daughter's school, a little
bit of our pandemic-related
swing fun in the living
(33:38):
room, and also what my
experience was with the Brazilian
culture during my research living
there and what inspired me
really to connect with this
and bring it home.
I think it was there,
if I had to say,
that really showed me that
play could be part of
every day, whether you're a
child, adult, no matter where
(33:59):
in your life stage, that
they're woven into our day.
I hope the ROIs or
the evidence that I provided
gave you the credibility, the
validity, and why it's good
for your health.
It's another good reason to
justify its existence as if
we need that in boosting
focus and memory, in helping
reduce stress.
(34:20):
And it's backed up by
research that small moments and
small movements can help.
And then we talked practical
tips.
So I hope that some
of those will come into
your local park again, into
your kitchen, in your living
room, and maybe I'll catch
you doing a little hopscotch
outside with some chalk or
just your imagination.
(34:42):
So here's your homework for
the week.
Take 5, 10, maybe 15
minutes for recess.
Make it playful, make it
fun, and make it yours.
And if you do, I'd
love to hear about it.
Thank you for sharing a
few of your waking minutes
with me today as we
explore the joy of recess
coming back into our lives.
(35:03):
It means so much to
me to have you here
sincerely, part of this journey,
on this podcast, and on
this planet.
I'm Wendy Bazilian.
This is 1,000 Waking Minutes.
And until next time, have
fun and be well.
Thank you for tuning in
to 1,000 Waking Minutes.
(35:23):
A huge thank you to
our amazing collaborators, including our
production and marketing teams and
Gabriella Escalante in particular.
To the ultra talented Beza
for my theme music, my
lifelong friend and artist, Pearl
Preis Photography and Design.
To Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen,
Joanna Powell, and of course,
my family, and everyone working
(35:44):
tirelessly behind the scenes.
And to you, our valued
listeners, I so appreciate your
support.
If you enjoyed today's episode,
please consider leaving a comment,
writing a review, and giving
1,000 Waking Minutes, that's us,
a 5-star rating.
And please hit subscribe on
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever
(36:04):
you enjoy your podcasts.
Please follow and stay connected
at wendybazilian.com.
And don't forget to share
with your friends.
Your support helps us grow
and bring you more great
content.
Until next time, find some
simple opportunities to optimize those
1,000 Waking Minutes each day.
(36:40):
I'm sayin' Yes to better days, Yes, it's on my way, Yes, It's gonna be ok, yeah!
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