Movement
Born to Move
We have evolved to move. Movement tunes us to gravity, keeping our muscles, bones, and joints strong and flexible. In fact, all of our body systems benefit from movement, and it doesn’t have to be intense exercise at the gym or through sports. Just walking up stairs, squatting down to pick up shoes, reaching up to the top shelf to grab a book — these unassuming movements scattered frequently throughout the day can play an even more crucial role in maintaining baseline health.
“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement ... save and preserve it.”
Plato
Practice: Interrupt Sedentary Lifestyle
Start to notice when you’ve been ‘frozen’ or set in one position or posture for an extended period of time. These days, this usually means sitting while staring at a phone, computer or TV for hours on end. Notice if you stay seated for more than 20 or 30 minutes. Use a timer or alarm to help track time.
Once you’ve started to notice that you go 50 minutes to 1 hour (or even longer) in a sit-and-stare position, start to break up your day so that you get up every 20 or 30 minutes. This could be as simple of standing up by your desk and taking a quick 10-second standing break. If you have the time, you could also add a couple of simple stretches, or take a few steps around the office or apartment to fill up on water or go to the bathroom. The key principle is to change your position and move about every 20 to 30 minutes. Standing for long periods of time should also be avoided.
After you’ve been successful at interrupting long seated sessions, you can start working on posture. How do you sit? Are you leaning back, or slouching forward? Is your neck craning forward? Does you posture strain your back or neck, or constrict your breathing? Adjust so you avoid stress and strain on muscles and bones that are having to fight gravity because of an inefficient seated or standing posture.
Why Movement?
Helps maintain good circulation of blood (and lymphatic fluid) throughout the body, including to the brain. Natural, everyday movement also helps keep your bones strong and muscles toned, and can aid the operation of almost all other body systems, including for digestion and immunity. Interrupting sedentary habits with small movements and postural changes may seem like small potatoes, but it adds up (compounds over time) to create big benefits. Then on the foundation of natural movement you can add a gym workout, yoga session, or any other more structured movement practice.
Free.
Short and sweet movement adjustments throughout the day will almost go unnoticed, especially after the habit becomes more automatic. If you were to add up total time per day, it could be as little at 5 to 10 minutes.
No external barriers. It’s easy and quick to do and can be done anywhere without interrupting your day.
“Simple everyday moving is the foundation of health .... What keeps us alive, resilient, and feeling good ... is very different from working out at the gym.”
NASA Scientist Joan Vernikos
Resources
Traditional movement practices range from rhythmic dancing, to simple prostrations and bowing, to the systematic practices of Yoga, Qigong and Aikido. Modern approaches have been developed by Joseph Pilates, Moshe Feldenkrais, Frederick Alexander, Thomas Hanna and others. Many of the practices have similar underlying principles that include body movement with awareness, working with the breath, and somatically exploring emotional and mental blocks for release and growth.
Begin to re-discover more attentive movement with a free 30 days of simple movements, or sign up for an affordable online yoga class from one of India’s many reputable yoga centers.
“The least movement is of importance to all nature. The entire ocean is affected by a pebble.”
Blaise Pascal