Movement 30 Tips – 7Core Wellness

Tip #29: Move More During Your Work Day

Jen Gerasimas — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 04:01:00 +0000

If you sit for long periods of time while working or can’t get to the gym like you would like due to your busy schedule, purposely finding more ways to move more and sit less, can not only make you feel better but actually increase your productivity and creativity.
When working, whether in an office or from home, here are a few ways to reduce your sitting and move more:

Get a standing desk. Hello, happier hips and back! Whether “sitting is the new smoking” can be debated, it is true the more you sit, the greater risk you are for having back pain. Hips in a constantly flexed position tightens them and they pull on your back. Give your hips a break by getting a stand-up desk.
Schedule breaks. This may sound obvious but we have clients who just work and work and don’t take breaks. Schedule those breaks, especially to eat. It is these breaks that will actually make you more productive and can help promote creativity.
Take walking meetings. If the meeting isn’t a teleconference where you have to show your face or be directly in front of a computer, take your meeting outside or walk around your office. This can apply to both in person or over the phone.
Use wireless headphones. Free yourself from cords or having to hold a phone to your ear so you can stand or move around while you talk as well as not put your neck in an awkward position.
Park far away and take the stairs. Pick a parking spot away from the entrance. And rather than take the elevator to your office or place of work, take the stairs. Get those extra steps in.

These may seem like small ways to move, but it is the small things that add up to big changes over time.

Sarah Jennings — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 04:01:00 +0000

A Home Gym set-up is a great way to ensure you have all of the tools necessary for a great workout! However, it does not have to be a major financial investment. With just a few pieces of equipment you can really elevate your workouts.
Don’t forget that you already have the most important piece of equipment already...your very own body!!! Bodyweight exercises are an incredible way to stay physically fit and doesn’t require any other investment other than a commitment from you!
Some great equipment that you can invest in:
- Yoga Mat
- Gliding discs
- Mini resistance bands
- Superbands and a doorway pullup bar are two great tools to help you work towards that pull-up you’ve always wanted to be able to do.
- A few pairs of dumbbells can help you add resistance to exercises to make them more challenging.
- TRX suspension training is an incredible way to uplevel your workout and provides an endless amount of variety to your routine.
- A stability ball is another great piece of equipment to add to your home gym set up. It requires a lot of balance work which is a great way to challenge your core stability!
- A single kettlebell is the ultimate when it comes to versatility.
If you aren’t ready to invest in equipment right now you can use household items to up your workout game. Things like gallon water jugs, canned food, paper plates, even a toddler can be a great way to add some resistance when you need it.

Veronica Garces — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 04:01:00 +0000

The CDC, World Health Organization, and American Heart Association recommends that you get 150 minutes of exercise per week. That balances out to 5 times a week, just 30 minutes a day. With our busy lifestyles we can find ways to get some extra movement while we are at home. Here are some tips to help with that:

Take more steps doing household chores: Put in some extra effort when doing chores around the house. You can move and burn a decent amount of calories while working hard getting those household chores done.
Involve the whole family: Get creative. Have fun getting more movement around the house with your family. For example, you can have a dance party while preparing dinner.
Move while watching a show: You can get your movement in while watching your favorite show. That’s at least 30 minutes right there for you. You can do squats, jumping jacks, lunges, sit ups, etc.

Jen Gerasimas — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 04:01:00 +0000

When working on creating a routine of regular movement, the movement you choose to do needs to fit two criteria to increase your success of getting the activity done.
Focus on a movement that, one, you enjoy doing and, two, that is easy for you to go do. Don’t go for anything hard and difficult. For example: go for a 15 min walk, dance for 10 minutes, or ride the stationary bike in the basement for 20 minutes.
If you are uncertain what to do, experiment and see what you enjoy plus what fits in your schedule. If you are dreading what you have planned for a workout, you may be more likely to skip it. So plan something you like to do and is easy for you to do.
To set yourself up for even greater success, prep your environment to make it easier to get moving as discussed in video 10. Have your workout clothes out and ready to put on, clean the space you need to move, set a timer for when to get started. Make achieving your movement habit as easy as possible.

Sarah Jennings — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 04:01:00 +0000

Stretching has so many overall benefits for our body and health. This is why it is so important to establish your own daily stretching routine. Some of the many benefits of stretching include:

When paired with mindful breathing exercises stretching can help decrease stress and anxiety.
It helps to promote better blood flow and oxygen flow throughout the body as well as decreasing blood pressure.
Reduces joint pain, muscle pain, and overall stiffness in the body, as well as improves overall muscle function.
Stretching has even been shown to help improve quality of sleep.
All of these benefits adds up to an improvement in our overall quality of life.

A great way to ensure you are stretching properly is to go to a yoga class or check out some of the online yoga classes you can find through a variety of apps out there.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy an online yoga class is through the Peloton app. Aditi Shah is my favorite instructor!
One of my favorite books about stretching is called: Stretching to Stay Young by Dr. Jessica Matthews

Veronica Garces — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 04:01:00 +0000

Finding time for extra movement or working out can seem impossible with a busy schedule. When it comes to creating the habit of moving on a consistent basis with a busy schedule, there are a couple of ways to achieve that:

Schedule time for it: Even if it is short, schedule it. Some movement is better than none, plus it reinforces the importance of this habit in your schedule as well as helping you develop consistency. If you don’t put it in your schedule and just plan in your head, you decrease your chance of making it happen.
Make it an appointment you will not cancel: A non-negotiable appointment. You will see what you have the time for, that it is a priority, and you will get to where you carve out time for movement everyday.