You NEED To Move More

“The body will become better at whatever you do  - or don’t do. You don’t move? The body will make you better at NOT moving, by locking the tissues together. If you move, the body will allow you more movement." - Ido Portal, Movement Guru.

Experts are saying that sitting is the new smoking. Actually, smoking is possibly better for you than sitting. Well, maybe that's a tad extreme, but hear me out...

Smokers tend to move more, stand more, walk more. The non-smokers tend to stay perched in their seats. So, who will have the health problems?

This can be debated to the slow death you'd likely manifest by either option. Look at it this way - both of these awful habits come fully packaged with their own unwanted side effects.

Smoking - cancer, smelly, unfit,,,

Sitter - obesity, poor mobility, back pain...

(Both lists go on...)

Now, these health problems are not guaranteed. There are fit smokers. There are skinny sitters. Generally speaking though, these are the kind of problems smokers and sitters will encounter.

Start by trying to sit down less. This is easier said than done but there are ways. You may have to get a little creative...

If you can get a standing desk at work, get one! Your back will be grateful in years to come. I'm actually writing this at my homemade standing desk!

Don't just stand though, this isn't the optimal solution - keep on moving! That's why the title of this article is about Moving More and not Standing More.

If you are forced to sit down, try and get up as often as possible or at least keep changing positions in the seat. Set regular breaks (I'm talking 20 mins max) to get up and move. Walk, squat, stretch - just move. Move often.

Also, try ground living. Sitting in a chair causes stagnation in many areas of the body. Ground living can combat this.

Remember when you were a child, you used to sit on the ground? Sometimes with legs crossed, sometimes kneeling, often in all sorts of funky positions! Try that now. Is it difficult? Uh oh, thats a warning that you're 'getting old'.

Actually you've just been using your body in a disfunctional manner which completely goes against our ancestral movement system. Here is an excellent video by The Natural Lifestylist Tony Riddle on ground living:

Another great way to get moving more is to follow a training plan or take up a sport or hobby that requires movement. There's something for everyone - you just have to find it.

So I'll leave it at that - get moving!

Learn, evolve, grow

Chris