Sitting is the new smoking.
There. We said it. This week, Every Monday Matters reminds us MOVE!
Moving is good for our health and happiness, especially when we move in a way that feels good to us. The thing about movement is that we often don’t really realize how important it is until we can’t move well anymore. Ever sprain your ankle or pinch a nerve in your neck or back? Then you get the idea. And we don’t you to wait until it’s too hard for you to move. We want you to MIND YOUR MOVEMENT this week and for many weeks to come. The human body was designed to move; yet we spend most of our waking hours sitting and several more hours lying flat while we sleep. But it wasn’t always this way. There were eras of human history where we moved constantly. When we move, we sleep better and feel better. When we move, we have more energy, strengthen our immune system, and improve our circulation. So discover what kind of movement is best of you, whether it’s dance, stretching, running, yoga, or something else entirely. And as you move this week, notice not just what you’re doing, but how it makes you feel. How does the movement you’re doing contribute to the balanced life that you want? This week, give up the sitting and staring at screens as much as possible and make a move. Minding your movement matters.
But creating physical movement in your work day takes planning and a shift in mindset. Reach out to your coworkers and source your solutions together. You might try things like:
Standing desks. Yes, they can be expensive, but there are more and more affordable solutions out there that don’t have to replace your existing furniture. They sit right on top! Here are a few under $100
- Here’s a groovy cardboard one.
- And an erector set one that also worked well from bed when recovering from surgery.
- This one rolls around.
- A spring-loaded one?
- Bamboo!
- And the one at which this blog post is currently being written. A scatterbrain fave.
Meetings and Calls in Motion. If your coworking space is near a park or a beach, please please take advantage of those for all of us that wish we were you! If you are scheduling time to chat with a coworker and it doesn’t require a screen or whiteboard or a bunch of papers spread out, then take it outside! Check out the Ozadi method to learn more about incorporating nature into your work day.
Walk for 10 minutes and then enjoy nature while you chat. Same goes for phone calls – even strolling around your workspace while you are on the call helps snap your spine back in place and get some motion in your hips.
Simple Things to do Daily.
- Take the stairs
- Use that on-site gym
- Sit on an exercise ball
- Park far away
- Don’t eat lunch at your desk
- Stretch at your desk
scatterbrain 