Movement - Activating Wellness

Most of us in the workforce are time poor and exhausted, so why would you introduce more activities into your busy day? If you want to ensure you are at the top of your game, physically and mentally, then more general movement and regular exercise are required.

Every body system relies on us moving. Mental health and cognitive function, muscles and joints, heart and lungs, hormones and mood, digestive health and gut microbiome, metabolism and blood pressure – all require us to move frequently and purposefully to be healthy. Studies clearly demonstrate exercise reduces all causes of death including cardiovascular-related events. Exercise can reduce the impact of chronic lifestyle conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, dementia and cancer.

In this article I will be focusing on movement, as is it broader than the term exercise. Exercise is a subset of movement. Movement is about moving your joints and muscles, and in this instance not keeping still for large chunks of time. It can incorporate exercise workouts, but it also includes dancing, walking your dog, throwing a ball, moving when carrying out activities such as house work, home maintenance, shopping, playing or just moving from one place to another.

Whenever we move our muscles, we activate our lymphatic system which relies on our movement to keep the lymphatic fluid moving through the lymph vessels. The lymphatic system is a part of our immune system and also helps to remove cell waste products from our body. If we are still too much, we can end up with a sluggish lymphatic system which will struggle to function as it should.

Exercise has the explicit aim of improving your cardio-vascular system, gaining muscle and strength, and/or increasing flexibility and balance.

If movement does not currently appear on your radar, I suggest starting with becoming a regular mover. If you already exercise regularly, don’t forget to move during your day as well. Ideally, we need to do both.

Here are some ways to incorporating more movement into everyday life:

Park your car further from the office, shops, bus stop or the station to increase your step count for the day.
Have some of your work meetings as walking meetings – you may find some people open up more when walking.
When at your kids’ sporting practice or game, you can walk around the ground/court while watching, rather than sitting.
When taking a toilet break, walk around a bit before returning to your desk.
Visit your colleagues in their offices rather than messaging or phoning.
Dance around the house to your favourite song.
When watching TV get up at every commercial break, or freeze the frame and walk around, march on the spot or stretch every hour or so.
Get up from you work desk every hour and walk around for a couple of minutes (set a reminder).
Take the stairs whenever possible.
Squat when picking up items from the floor.
If you have a playground nearby, take the kids and join in rather than watching.
Get out into the garden.

The options are endless. Be playful, have fun and be kind to yourself. The aim is to be up and moving a few minutes out of every hour.

When you choose a new movement plan for your day, try to link it to a current habit such as every time you make and/or receive a phone call, every time you finish an online meeting, any activity you do regularly that you can link to getting to your feet and moving around a bit.

Another way to embed a new habit is to celebrate your achievement. Ask yourself:

Did I get up from my desk more often today?
Did I meet my set goals?
How close did I get to my set goal?

Aim to have a pre-set gauge of success, 80%, 90%, 100%, whatever feels right to you. Make sure your goal is a bit of a challenge, but also achievable. It may sound odd, but celebrating and congratulating/rewarding yourself will send positive signals through your brain and increase the likelihood you will maintain the habit, and encourage you to take on more challenges in the future.

Having a movement practice does not necessarily mean large amounts of time or money. A small investment in movement can pay positive dividends.

As with any lifestyle change, please seek medical advice if you have any existing condition. If you are wanting to start a movement routine that requires skills you don’t have yet, then I encourage you to get some formal training with a qualified coach/trainer. Remember to move during the day, your body will thank you for it.