Movement Tips
Add more quantity + quality of movement to your day
Jen Schappel tells us to think of movement as food for the body – the goal is to try and eat a variety of colors, which means we need to vary our movements. These are the nutrients the body needs. Staying in the same positions, or even doing the same exercises over and over, can eventually shape the body into “casts” that make it increasingly difficult to break.
Here are 6 simple tips to incorporate a range of movement into your daily life!
Move your mind
You can actually incorporate movement without moving your body. Give your eyes a break, especially if you’re looking at a screen. Change positions. Even in you’re staying still in a different position, you’re still moving more than normal. Involve your senses. No gym is required for your movement.
Shoes off
Take your shoes off at home, and even at your desk at work (if you can). Your feet are the gateway to your hips, and you have a much wider range of motion when your feet aren’t inside shoes.
Make your desk dynamic
There’s a saying in the movement community that “sitting is the new smoking.” Being sedentary is harmful for our bodies. Movement is required for our bodies to thrive. If you spend long hours at a desk, try adding movement to your work station:
Create a standing desk. Put a box under your laptop to bring it up to standing height or try working from the kitchen counter.
When you’re standing, you have opportunities to tend to your feet. If you’re barefoot, put a racket or tennis ball under your foot. Run it back and forth over the ball to give yourself a foot massage. Incorporate texture for your feet. Add a foam half dome to stretch your feet.
If you’re sitting, think about ways to change up your seat. Mix it up with a stability ball. Try a kneeling chair. Make your chair your desk and put your laptop on the chair, while sitting on the floor.
Get on the floor
Sounds crazy but the simple act of getting up and down is a new movement for your body! When you sit on the ground you have to hold yourself up or you can always explore ways to stretch while seated. If it’s uncomfortable to sit on the ground, try sitting on a cushion to get your knees below your hips.
Wake up your arms
Next time you find yourself yawning midday - raise your arms and make some snow angels. This will increase your blood flow and help wake you up! To incorporate this throughout the day, put things that you use regularly up high so you have a reason to lift your arms over your head.
Find ways to walk
Think of walking as a canoe – your arms and legs are the oars, and you take one leg back with the opposite arm to propel yourself forward. You should focus on moving your arms backward. Suggestions for more steps: Try parking farther away from work. Take a walk during phone calls and meetings. Do a walk-and-talk with a friend (at a safe distance).
Find more tips for incorporating movement at home on Jen’s blog!
About the Host
Jen Schappel is a massage therapist, movement coach, and the creator and host of Insisterhood, a podcast that shares conversations with female entrepreneurs in Knoxville.
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