Every day that we don’t move puts mind and body in a box.
We are talking here about unnecessarily slowing our walking pace and holding back on what are called Primal Movements, the fundamental actions of life.
As today’s image represents, we stuff ourselves full of inertia, the inability to generate our own movement, when we voluntarily choose a less active path.
Here is how to make sure any self-imposed box is not closing in on us.
1. Safely Stride instead of Saunter, Poke along or Meander when heading anywhere – unless it is a deliberate meditative walk. Walking benefits our whole physiology.
2. Open up the body’s range of motion to what are called Primal Movements.
a. Hip hinge – sticking our butt back, knees slightly bent, with firm back when we bend over to pick something up.
b. Rotate – Hips straight, teaching ourselves to move the ribcage in either direction. Stomach braced.
c. Squat – Fundamental movement of sitting in a chair or using the toilet. Practice squatting so your legs stay strong. Hold on to arm-rest for balance when raising and sitting from a chair for introductory squat exercises.
d. Pull items toward us with firmly braced body. Pulling strengthens our back and biceps – for posture and lifting up grocery bags.
e. Push items away – Pushing strengthens the chest and triceps (back of the arms) for pushing anything away such as cabinet doors.
f. Lunge – One foot forward, the other back in Split leg position – hold onto chair or dresser – raise yourself up and down. Then step forward into same position and up/down raise of the body. Strengthens every lower body muscle. Careful with our knees!
If walking and standing movements are not available to us due to injury or frailty – we need to shimmy shoulders and move the arms.
Any part of the body that can move, needs to. Remember movement is priceless. Movement is life.
We are too young to put ourselves into any type of box. WF!
