By Alison DiPinto, LPC
There’s some very interesting research coming from the world of fitness and exercise and it’s worth knowing about… But first let’s remind ourselves why it is so important to move our bodies.
Humans are not built to be sedentary. We have all these amazing muscles and joints, tendons and ligaments, bones and cartilage that work together to move all our beautiful parts. If we think about early humans, we survived by hunting, foraging, farming, walking, running, and riding horses. We were made to move all day, sleep hard and get up and move again. Our bodies haven’t changed but our world has. We find ourselves in front of screens, at work and at home ( oh those dreaded phones!) riding in cars, trains or buses and sitting the majority of the day. Certainly, we get many benefits from how our world has evolved but we now need to be much more intentional about moving our bodies.
We probably all know by now the benefits of movement and exercise, but here are some of the stars courtesy of the Mayo Clinic and WebMD:
Controls weight
Combats health conditions and diseases
Improves mood
Boosts performance
Boosts physical, mental, and emotional health
Increases flexibility and helps prevent injuries
Improves balance and helps prevent falls
Relieves stress
Increases concentrations of norepinephrine, a chemical that can moderate the brain’s response to stress.
Wow! That’s quite the list and that’s not even all of it!
What we also know is that especially if we are not feeling well or are dealing with pain, both physical and emotional, that it’s very hard to find the motivation and desire to move every day. It’s time we start thinking about movement with a much wider lens.
Many times, when we think about exercise, we think about going to the gym and lifting weights for an hour or attending a class, or going for a long walk, run, bike or swim. All of these forms of exercise are great but may not be realistic for how we feel and/or how much time we have. Thinking about doing any of these may feel overwhelming and nearly impossible depending on where we are in our treatment, or how much we are taking care of our sick loved one, or how we may be emotionally responding to the losses we are living through.
So let’s simplify. (We have finally gotten back to this interesting research! Very suspenseful!)
Have you ever heard of Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis or NEAT? No? Well, you are not alone. That is just the fancy term for all the moving around we do on a daily basis. Some examples are cleaning the house (dishes, laundry, vacuuming, tidying up), walking into the next room to get something, getting up to go to the bathroom at work, standing while talking on the phone, even fidgeting. Believe it or not, if we can increase these movements every day it can make a big difference. Here’s an article that will tell you much more:
Living Better: how increasing small movements can make a big difference : NPR
Another amazing research study has shown that doing 1 bicep curl, a 3 second workout, 3x per week actually builds muscle! 3 SECONDS! Here’s the article:
Shortest Workout Ever: 3 Seconds of Exercise 3 Times a Week Grows Muscle : ScienceAlert.
(I told you it was amazing!)
If we start thinking differently about how we move, and what is meaningful and beneficial movement this can be the beginning of a new relationship with our bodies. Maybe we just start with one bicep curl 3 times a week and walking around our house every few hours. This then may lead to trying a yoga or Healthy Steps class at Ann’s Place. This may lead to new friendships and support. And that may lead to a new found love for you body, mind and soul. And that can only invite more joy into life.
Alison DiPinto is the Wellness Coordinator and a licensed clinician at Ann’s Place.