What if we knew the words ‘Fitness’ and ‘Exercise’ were stopping us from moving each day?
Fitness, Exercise, Training… What other words inspire you to say NO, stay planted on the couch… work late (now it’s too close to dinner to do anything)… wake up tired and hit snooze for the 3rd time…
More than 15 years in the fitness industry, working alongside 1000s of people with a passion for behavioral science. Has taught me exactly this.
Fitness and Exercise are for The Fit people… and that’s not me… so why bother?
The big problem society faces today is that we are mostly sedentary. We spend most of our time not moving.
This is a HUGE reason for many of our ailments, we were never designed to be this way. Our bodies are built to walk, sit, dig, run, climb, sprint, jump, roll, leap, crouch down, lie flat.
Our bodies are designed to MOVE.
The repercussions of using our body in a way it was never designed to be used are far greater than we know. Our physical health and our mental health steadily decline the less and less we move. On the flip side, the more we move the happier we are! And this has got nothing to do with those ‘exercise endorphins’ the fitness industry screams about.
We’re talking about our gut digesting its food better because it’s supported by the natural movement of our abdomen when we walk (we are still digesting our food more than 4 hours after we’ve eaten it).
We’re talking about the extra light we get into our systems from being outside, helping us sleep, supporting our immune system and breathing in the fresh NZ air… spend any time in the big cities of the world and you’ll know what I mean.
We’re talking about more blood flow to all the tissues and body parts that are causing us chronic pain, trying to heal from an injury, or just plain stiffness.
And we’re talking about the chances for brain space, because we noticed the chirping of the birds or the buzzing of the cicadas, a momentary break from our busy minds.
Now we’re probably all aware of this one “Knowledge is Power!”
Here’s the crux… Knowledge IS power BUT only when it’s actioned!
For example, I feel like we can all relate to this one… “Yes I KNOW I should be fitter/stronger/move more”
GREAT! Let’s MOVE MORE!
Here’s my behavioral science tactic – Our power is going to be in our INTENTION. We’re SIMPLY going to LOOK for opportunities to MOVE more! How hard can it be?
Let’s see…
Arriving in the car park and choosing the space, a little bit further away, from the entrance.
Standing up out of our chair every time we look to see what the time is (one of our brain’s way of saying ‘change my state please’)
Walking to the end of the driveway before we hop in the car to go to work.
Walking up the stairs rather than taking the lift (walking up stairs tends to be nicer on the knees).
Walking around the block before heading inside after work.
Getting outside during our lunch break.
Finding a friend that wants to move more and scheduling in days to meet for a 10-15 minute walk (start with what feels GOOD).
Let us know where You find opportunities to move in your life! We’re right here with you and you reading this article truly shows your commitment to this next chapter. Your chapter of ‘Moving More’.
Krista Sandford-Hill
Breaking Through Barriers
Founder of 09 Thrive
https://09thrive.co.nz/