Movement Snacks…are you getting enough?
As the pandemic approaches its first anniversary, many people have found themselves working from home for longer hours, at improvised workstations, tables, chairs, and even ironing boards (actually a good idea!). Often missing is the daily commute or walking somewhere for lunch or a coffee. As a result of this, tight and aching backs, necks, shoulders and hips are many of the common complaints we see at the clinic. While the mental and physical benefits of daily exercise are vast and very important so is regular movement throughout the day. A sedentary 8+ hour workday can lead to fatigue in overworking muscles and tightness and weakness in underworking muscles, and decreased circulation overall.
One way to think of incorporating movement into your day is movement snacks! We take time to fuel our bodies with nutritious food throughout the day, why not consider giving your body nutritious movement throughout the day as well. Nutritious movement should include movement for all areas of the body in all directional planes. Our bodies were built to move – to squat, push, pull, lift, twist, bend, and rotate. Just make sure you’re adding movement in a way that’s pain free and comfortable for your body.
Here are some easy ways to incorporate more movement throughout your day:
* Change your position hourly – if you have a portable computer, consider stacking some books or boxes on a table top, or better, yet get out that height adjustable ironing board to create a standing workstation. If your body allows, sit cross legged or kneeling on the floor with your computer on a stool.
* To provide more movement to your thoracic spine and shoulders, circle your arms overhead, rotate your torso, and add in some side bends.
* To provide more movement to your hips, knees and ankles, add some squats and lunges, rotate your hips or march in place.
* Climb the stairs in your home twice an hour.
* If you have a solid door frame, reach for it and hang from it for 5-10 seconds (if that’s too extreme, just stretch your arms overhead).
* Or…simply add movement you like and what feels good for your body, just do more of it, more often.
Written by: Jennifer Ingram