Last week we looked at the active process of resting! This week we are looking at activity and why we need it in our lives.
If movement was a medicine we would all be on it – why did I say that?
Here is why 👇
So what is the magic formula?
Movement, strength, flexibility, balance and stamina (The Magic 5)
Where to start?
By moving – plain and simple. Keep it realistic for you and your circumstances.
Keep it enjoyable or at least not punishing.
Remember, particularly as we age don’t loose it, use it!
Reframe all the things you do everyday and know your opportunities.
Home – housework, laundry, shopping and gardening and DIY! In your home life there are lots of opportunity for moment, flexibility, strength and balance. When out shopping, park the car further away from the store or mall entrance to walk more (big shout out to my parents here). Take the stairs!
Stack habits👇
Jobs – is your job a physically demanding one? Or are you in your feet all day? These are protective 👏. What about walking to work? What about standing desks? Best purchase I made and use regularly (once the patient leaves – up it goes and up I go). Note your brain active but body idle times – reset your footprints to offset the sedentary times.
Parents and Grandparents- a world of opportunity here! I think all of the Magic 5 can be addressed by playing, lifting and bouncing and all kinds of things (lifting babies in car seats make for strong arms). When my girls were at swimming lessons – I would pop upstairs to the gym (habit stacking again). Gosh I was rubbish at first! But…..but with the help of a good playlist of music and being prepared to surrender my ego, I made movement. I was no Usain Bolt but I was doing something. Gradually my stamina improved, as did my post maternity pelvic floor 😳! I was gentle and had no pressure on myself except any movement had to be better than no movement. It was also a bit of me time. That is how I started -fast forwards a few years now I am teaching yoga.
Recreation time – what do you enjoy? What are the opportunities here? I have two beloved friends whom I am now meeting regularly and our “thing” has become a catch up and stomp. I just love it – relationships, laughter and movement. And yes we still have coffee!
Other potential benefits👇
What I have done differently this week?
1. I often hand jars to my Hubby to open. No more. I have that wee gripper in the picture below and I am mostly managing.
2. Similarly I had stopped lifting heavy wet laundry baskets and getting Hubby to carry. Again, no more. The same with shopping bags. I will build strength by carrying more.
3. I lifted and bought 2 x 100 litre bags of bark for the garden (that was at my limit I have to say – and it is important to know your limit and not injure yourself).
4. Wednesday working from home – brain active but body idle day. The week previously, I had three solid body idle hours which felt sore on my hips and back. My eyes were strained and I was mentally exhausted. I made myself move for one minute every hour – this simple thing made a difference to body and mind. I offset the idle day and went to the gym in the evening.
What did I learn?
It might not be easy to start with but start you must! You might never open the jar. However, few people just go and run a marathon -they need to train. So don’t abandon trying opening the jar just because you didn’t manage the last time. Know at first you won’t succeed and try and try and try again – building muscle memory.
Final thought – check in with how you might be holding yourself back. Being comfortable is, well comfortable. Movement can make you a bit uncomfortable to start with. You may always feel a bit of muscle fatigue discomfort after a walk or workout. Can you reframe this – can you accept this?
When the kids were little my mantra was always I was too busy for exercise. Then one day I read a quote that said someone who is busier than you is exercising right now! That was the firework for me! That was the spark 🔥 .
Love You: Move better, live well and feel strong inside and out.
Love you: Health and Well-being with Lorraine 