Hi, It's Kathryn Finn, Portfolio Manager at RBC Dominion Securities. And I am lucky enough today to have Janet offset who is a play expert, and a health coach in Toronto, but over the pandemic, and probably going forward is virtual and available everywhere on Zoom. And I invited her today because she wrote this great book called The Playbook. And I'm hoping that she can share with us some ideas of really why play is medicine for the whole body, as some of us are back in the office and returning to a new level of normal of whatever that's going to be. So thank you so much for joining me today, and welcome.
Thank you so much for having me, Catherine. I'm thrilled to be here, and especially to talk about this super important topic. Play is medicine for the whole body in more ways than just looking good. I have used play to reframe exercise, so that it's approachable for anybody to do, any time, and for people to tap back into what brings them joy on a daily basis. And, you know, my platform, and my book, and my coaching I really help people strip back down to what they're ready, willing, and able to do. That's fun and improves their health because exercise-- the data is real-- exercise improves your mood. It boosts your memory. It reduces stress and anxiety.
And actually, there was one recent study that found moderate physical activity, so we're talking 150 minutes a week, which is 20 minutes a day, thickened parts of the brain in beneficial ways that led to 60-year-olds, who had been sedentary actually scoring as though they were 20 years younger on test of executive function. And I think that's really powerful when you understand 20 minutes of movement can have that much impact on your brain, and set the stage for the feel good emotions that we deserve to have, especially through the pandemic. So yeah, it's an exciting way to present workout less, play more to people.
I love that. And I loved in the book how you take simple strategies, and just take one little habit and change it. And tweak-- do small little tweaks to really change your whole outlook of what it is as opposed to have to have an hour. And I have to go to the gym. And I have to do x. I have to-- have toos were really not present in The Playbook, it was really a very different way of looking at it, which I really enjoyed.
Yeah, I like to help people think of it as you don't have to play, you get to play. And how you want to play is completely up to you. And where everybody is at a different spectrum on the exercise paradigm. And quite frankly, when I wrote my book, having been in the fitness and wellness industry for over 20 years now, I continue to be frustrated by the stats, that 1.4 billion people in the world aren't doing enough movement to keep healthy. And put the pandemic on top of that, I just I really don't believe it has to be that way.
And I really think there are simple, strategies, and habits that everybody can do that will move the needle forward to boost their health. And like you work with your clients about making small daily investments, or manageable little deposits over time in your investment account that compound over a long period of time, instead of making a big bet like this all-- oh, I'm going to do all of this at once and hope it works out. We all know slow and steady wins the race, and there's no quick fixes to your health.
That's so true. And I like the analogy. It's true, slow and steady always does win the race. In terms of what some of your clients or some of my clients can take away, where do you start? What is the-- where is your starting spot?
Well, if you haven't been in the regular habit of exercise or play, there are some super simple strategies. And I write about them in my book. One is, tap into what you like to do as a kid. You can download these assessments on my website for free. And just start there. What did you like to do as a kid? What brings you joy? And there are no limits.
When people recognize that the whole world can be their playground, and they don't have to do it in a dark room with feeling really like unmotivated, what's going to bring you joy? What sparks your interest? What did you like to do as a kid?
I actually had a client that loved to skip rope as a kid, knew all the songs still. And she has a really big job. She's in the C-suite of a big corporation. And in between her meetings, if she's not taking a walking meeting she actually skips rope for a couple of minutes. And then goes back to her desk. And you don't need a whole bunch of time, this whole hour thing, you don't need an hour. That's only how trainers get paid, but you do need to move your body every day in a way that will make you healthy. And it's not a whole lot.
And so in terms of the play, how do you-- I love that actual example, about just taking a break, and skip rope for a couple of minutes, that's actually pretty smart. But in terms of when you're doing an alternative to the gym workout, and the different levels of play, you talk about them in the book as-- I think there's 150 or something different ways that you could play, which I thought was brilliant. So are you stripping back, and going back to that early childhood level of experience or is it-- how do you pull that out of somebody?
So you can hack-- sorry, stack-- you can do an exercise hack-- you can, oh, I made that up-- you can stack movement onto something you already do. So if you're making dinner, why not do some push ups at the counter? If you are out for a walk, why not use a park bench for some squats, or some lunges, or some stretching, or just take some deep breaths? And what about setting a timer, and every 45 or 50 minutes set a timer when it goes off, give yourself permission to get up, and move around. Put on a five minute song. There's actually a Spotify list called, "Five Minute Long Songs" and put on a song and just dance around, that is play and that is healthy. That movement matters. Even if you work out for an hour, you still need to move throughout the day.
Right, right. Well, you've also talked about in your book that going to the gym first thing in the morning, and then sitting at a desk for the next 10 hours, it's not so great.
Yeah. Exactly. It's-- it isn't a terrible thing to do, obviously, I want to encourage people to keep up doing what they're doing. But don't forget, there's other ways to add some playful movement in your day. That's completely up to you, the way you want to do it.
And the mental benefits from it. We're seeing-- we're reading-- we're getting statistics about Alzheimer's and all kinds of things that as you keep your mind active, and even possibly learning another thing. To learn how to skip because I actually did try to take up skipping, and it's hard.
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Yeah, I know it's-- but it's fun, you know. I actually, in my book I interview experts in different fields of mental health and heart health. And the expert on mental health is Dr. John Ratey, who is a-- he's the world's foremost expert on the brain fitness connection. And it's proven that regular exercise can work as well as medication for some people who suffer from anxiety and depression. It doesn't mean I want you to go stop taking your medication, please, that is not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is it can only benefit you in more ways than you think.
Right. So it's just a matter of finding that little nugget of play that you used to have or finding a new one.
Yeah, or calling up a friend, find someone to go play with. It's incredible how the human connection and movement are just like a one-two punch of powerhouse greatness. Right there, and do it outside. The whole world can be your playground.
That's so true. That's so great. That's so awesome. That's great advice. And you work with lots of people. Your book is fantastic. And I love the fact that it's just-- it's simple, and that play is such a key component to it. So thank you so much for even taking the time with me today. I really appreciate it.
Thank you so much. It was great to talk to you.
Great. Thanks again.
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