Sitting is the new smoking!
Sitting too much will shorten your life span and diminish your quality of life.
Sitting will kill you!
We all know these facts however the puzzling question is: how is this still happening with today’s technology and ease of access to knowledge? We have a vast majority of the global population still being sedentary and chronic disease is at an all-time high!
This intrigues me (Christine) with my background in exercise science and psychology. We have phones, mobile apps, wristwatches, and other devices that tell us to stand up, move, smile, drink water, sleep, speed up, slow down, do this, do that. Yet the number of inactive people around the globe is rising. Childhood obesity is expanding by the minute and an attitude of, you can’t tell me what to do, is bourgeoning throughout the world at a rate of knots.
Do we understand our WHOLE self? All four parts of physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual self.
When we do, we can become more focused on peak performance and BE more authentically ‘ME’.
We often only recognise what our bodies need when something goes wrong! By the time we acknowledge this threat, we have already betrayed our body and damage has already been done.
We have ignored the amazing machine we are born with and inferred that it does not deserve to be used for the purpose it was built for – MOVEMENT.
Are any alarm bells ringing yet?
You may be one of those who say: ‘I don’t have time for exercise.’ ‘I’m far too busy and anyway exercise is the least of my worries,’ or ‘I have to stay at my desk because there is no time for breaks or mucking around.’
My answer to you is: ‘You don’t have time, NOT to have time to be active.’
I’m not talking about pumping iron for 45 minutes, running a marathon, cycling 160km, or swimming 3.9km every day of the week (although kudos to those who do).
What I am referring to is being ACTIVE, every single day.
Are you one of those who sit at your workstation for hours on end, bent over the keyboard, chin poked forward, staring at the computer screen, drinking coffee, or eating that sugar-loaded bar like there is no tomorrow?
THIS is exactly the time when you need to stop what you are doing and jump up and move. Take regular breaks, even for 2 minutes. Stand up stretch, walk outside, do some big deep breathing, and also ‘pull your head in’!
Yes, that’s an actual exercise to reduce chin poke and shoulder pain!
Even better than regular 2-minute breaks are regular 5–10 minute breaks.
Move. Be active. Our bodies are made to move.
Our body gets good at whatever we do, or do not do. If we are inactive, our body gets better at not moving. If we are active, our body gets better at being active.
Movement and exercise are NOT punishment, it is an opportunity to find out what
you are capable of!
Here are 3 reasons why being active is paramount and will enhance your intellectual, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing:
- Concentration levels improve. Increased activity increases oxygen to our brains, which assists us to be more focused, alert, and concentrate with more depth (more intellectual).
- Productivity is bolstered. A break away from our work (even for 2 active minutes) will result in being more creative, innovative, and focused when we return. We will feel refreshed, full of oxygen, and rearing to go (greater emotional wellbeing).
- Optimistic mental health is amplified. Being active reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and negative moods. We increase self-esteem and happiness because our body is flooded with happy chemicals like endorphins and serotonin that improve our mood and therefore we are better placed to find meaning beyond ourselves (greater spiritual wellbeing).
So, if you are looking for higher levels of success (however you define this) then consider and instigate healthy movement.
Healthy movement leads to a healthy mind and this combination generates more success!
Go on do it with purposeful intention. Move that body more – right here right now – and make it a habit that will serve you better in your life and career!