Sit Less This Summer… And Move More!
By Chelsey Kerry
Physiotherapist, Pelvic Health Therapist, Dry Needling Practitioner | Aug 7, 2023
As a physiotherapist, I firmly believe that nothing has a bigger positive impact on our health and wellness as movement. The problem is that most of us aren’t moving enough. Too many people sit at a desk all day and then come home and sit on the couch in the evening. If that sounds familiar, this article is my love letter to you.
The stakes really couldn’t be higher. Studies consistently show that people who exercise have a lower risk for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression - and greater longevity. When you sit for too long, the science takes a toll on your health: the rate of calories you burn and the enzymes that help your body break down fat drop drastically, good cholesterol drops by 20%, your leg muscles shut off electrical activity, and you place a lot of stress on your lower back and neck.
Feeling tense? It might be because you’re sitting for too many hours each day. The good news is that it is SO simple to get started, and easier than you might think to find the time to move.
**One caveat that’s important to note is to pay attention to any mobility issues you may be affected by. If it hurts to move - either in general or in certain specific ways – please pay us a visit. We would be honored to help you find your way to a more joyful and pain-free life full of motion.
The general rule of thumb is to aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity each week. It might sound like a lot, but it evens out to just over 20 minutes a day, and that can be broken down into short 5- or 10-minute bursts of activity.
If you’ve been sedentary too long and are ready to sit less, move more, walking is always a fantastic place to start. Take the dog around the block a few times a day. Working a desk job? Take a mid-morning and mid-afternoon walk break to do a few laps around the block or the parking lot. As a bonus, you’ll see your energy levels go up while your stress levels go down!
Other common strategies for getting more steps in are to park farther away from your destination so you have to walk there and back, or take the stairs instead of an elevator when you have the chance. You might also want to find a workout buddy – someone who’s been active for a while and can serve as a mentor, or a friend who, like you, needs more movement in their life.
As a complement to that aerobic activity, build in some strength training activities that target major muscle groups, like your legs, your core, and your arms, twice a week. Pushups, lunges, and squats require no equipment and can slip right into your daily routine. Try a set of ten during a commercial break or while you’re waiting for the teapot to whistle.
We all know that our schedules tend to fill up faster in the fall than they do in the summer, when kids are off from school and colleagues are off on their vacations. That makes right now the perfect time to get into a new routine – one that really ‘moves’ you – so that you can make it a habit by the time things pick up again.
One other thing your body will certainly appreciate is a little extra stretching – first thing in the morning and just before bed, a few minutes of gentle yoga will warm you up for the day and help you settle down at night.
I promise your body will thank you in a thousand different ways if you give it this gift. Move more, sit less, and find a healthy, happier, and less stressed you.
And if you’re nervous about doing too much too soon, we can help with that too. A trained physiotherapist can review your health history and the current alignment of your body to suggest exercises and routines that will be optimal for your health.
Chelsey Kerry
Physiotherapist, Pelvic Health Therapist, Dry Needling Practitioner