Movement is Always the Answer
Our bodies were designed to move. We evolved this way. To walk, to run, to climb, to jump, to crawl, to dance…and also to sit.
The problem with how our jobs and lifestyles have changed is that our amount of movement has declined significantly. This is due in part to environmental design but also cultural shifts and technological advances.
Where movement used to be built into our commutes or free time, has been replaced by more time sitting.
We are now seeing the impact that this reduction of movement is having on our species.
More and more people are falling into the sedentary trap.
Most of us have experienced this. It starts in school when we are required to sit for longer periods of time. We go through a familiar pattern of fidgeting, settling, then the body aches creep in and we try desperately to find a new comfortable position while chair-bound. Then by the time we are able to stand and move again, we feel like we are the tin man in need of some major lubrication. Groaning and crackling, we are desperate for recess. Our mind’s melting in a hazy, sleepy cloud. But sadly 15-30 minutes of recess isn’t enough to satiate the body’s yearning to move. Especially now that kids have tiny computers on them at all times, they can gravitate to screen time over movement time.
I believe recess is not just for kids. Adults also need more regular recess. A recess is a break, and does not necessarily involve moving one’s body, but in my opinion, should.
Humans are arguably too good at adapting. Since we sit more, we have developed all sorts of special chairs to support us in that posture for as long as possible.
Unfortunately the chairs and the blue light glasses aren’t the answer.
The answer is always movement.
Nowadays, movement is a recommendation made my doctors when people present with all sorts of physical and mental symptoms resulting from a lack thereof.
We’ve unlearned how to move. It’s hardly a part of our daily routine.
“Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults aged 18 years and older should participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity, every week. Make sure to do this in bouts of at least 10 minutes and include muscle and bone-strengthening activities 2 days per week.”
This is the minimum recommendation that many are not meeting. We should be striving for more.
It seems that there is a dramatic shift that occurs from childhood to adulthood. Yes, responsibilities increase. But what about one’s own responsibility of taking care of our health. Where does that fit in between studying, working, socializing, sleeping?
The paradigm needs to shift to working more efficiently and freeing up time to move. Bosses need to ask less of their employees and themselves. People are overworked and need more encouragement to take guilt-free recesses to mentally and physically recharge. We need more accessibility to built-in movement breaks in workplaces. This could be yoga instructors coming to the workplace, dance classes, strength classes, as minimal as a stretching area and bar to hang on. I would love to see the architectural standard of new buildings/offices include built-in movement spaces. The healthier and happier the employees, the healthier the business will be. This same idea should be applied to the construction of our homes as well. We are huge advocates for creating a movement space in your home. If you have a spare bedroom or basement that gets used infrequently, can you make it a multi-purpose space that includes room to be physically active? If you don’t park your car in the garage, how about converting it to a small gym? And for those with limited extra space, a simple dedicated corner with a yoga mat and some tools that are easily accessible or out all of the time will inspire more movement.
The brain fog and false feelings of fatigue that keep us from exercising are real. When you sit and stare at a screen for many hours a day, you feel tired, and your body tricks you into thinking you’re too tired to exercise. But in fact, those who overcome those false fatigue signals know that it’s only our brains that feel tired, not our bodies. We need to remember this and commit to a movement practice regardless of the tricks our minds play on us. No one is immune to this effect, it’s just a matter of overriding it to the point where it just becomes a habit. And what we know about habits is, the more frequently you water that habit, the faster it will grow and stick in your life.
We know that daily physical activity improves mood, focus, confidence, sleep and resilience to injury and illness. The only time I’ve ever seen movement as a remedy not work is…never. Even when I volunteered working with the adapted community who were dealing with a myriad of neurological impairments that hindered some of their ability to move freely, what movement they could do was still undeniably impactful!
So next time you feel like taking a nap after a long day stuck to your desk, rewrite the script and remind yourself that what you really need, is movement.
Here are some of our clients’ spaces that they’ve created at home:
VIDEO: Some cool (but excessive) design ideas that are happening in the highest tech settings like Adobe and Samsung. I’d still love to see more hanging bars in each space and a giant adult playground right smack in the middle of that courtyard!
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