Moving all day long is the most important thing you can do for yourself. Humans are born to move…all throughout the day! Our ancestors used to walk, climb, run, crawl, swim, haul, dig, squat, throw, and carry things all day long, in order to survive. This is quite the contrast to our current daily routines. Now we sit and watch the morning news, sit in our cars on the way to work and sit more at our desks once we get there. We are sitting way too many hours a day! In my opinion, ‘limited all day movement’ is what’s causing so many of the low back and knee aches, tight hips and weak glutes that many people are challenged with in our society. Movement is programmed into our human brains as a critical way we engage with the world. More activity matters!
More Activity All Day is So Beneficial
Many people struggling to lose weight, aren’t moving enough for most of the hours in a day. Hourly movement increases the calories you’re able to burn in a day, as it keeps you metabolism up. I always say “Lotion is Motion”. So if you want your body to feel more lubricated throughout the day, get up and move around! More activity all day long lessens stiff joints and keeps your blood flowing. It can also lead to:
- You feeling more energetic and youthful.
- Aches and pains seem to disappear, your body moves like it’s supposed to.
- Suddenly, things you’ve been putting off for years, are a reality (anyone up for skydiving!?!).
- You feeling proud of your lifestyle changes.
- Freedom from many of the anxieties and limitations that held you back for so long will feel energizing.
- You having more mental clarity and connect better with others.
Doesn’t this sound fantastic!?!
3 Tips to Get More Active All Day Long
- Schedule it.
You don’t attend meetings and appointments spontaneously, you schedule them. If you’re having trouble remembering to move, set your phone alarm to go off hourly. When you hear the beeping, get up move for a couple of minutes. I love turning on my favourite song and dancing around for a couple of minutes! Triggers like alarms, are one of the secrets to success when it comes to forming an exercise habit. They put your routine on autopilot, so there’s nothing to think about or decide on. The alarm clock goes off and you automatically stand up and march, or dance, or punch up to the ceiling. The list of ideas is endless. If you’re looking for fitness ideas, reach out to me. - Find a partner.
Share your hourly movement goal with another person and get them on board to try it too. If you’ve got a person checking in on you at the end of the day, you’re more likely to move around hourly. Being accountable for your actions to someone else, helps drive your consistency. You could even turn things into a challenge. Track your hourly movement on a fitness tracker, and whoever moves the most all day long for a week or a month, could earn a prize. Maybe a free coffee from their fitness buddy. - Reward yourself.
People who move regularly often to do so because of the benefits I’ve mentioned above. When you’re just starting out, it’s important to give yourself immediate rewards when you successfully move hourly. Choose something not related to food that you look forward to. It can be something as simple as having a hot bath, or a little more of a treat like a pedicure, on those days and weeks filled with more activity.
To Sum it up…More Activity Matters!
Humans are built to move. We need more activity to provide us with a host of physical and mental benefits. Increase your daily activity by scheduling it, finding a partner to hold you accountable or by rewarding yourself on days filled with more activity. I’d love to hear from you to learn if any of these tips have worked.