Movement as a Pillar
Health is more than just the mere absence of disease or sickness. In order to live a not only long lifespan, but a long health span, it is vital that you do one thing each and every day – MOVE! Movement is life. And without movement, our bodies quickly age and develop so many avoidable health issues.
Sitting Is The New Smoking
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, the average Canadian spends a whopping 69% of their waking hours in a sedentary state. Don’t worry I’ll do the math for you while you stay seated, but that equates to an average of 10 waking hours each day spent sitting down! Being physically inactive can lead to many avoidable illnesses and disease, but the old adage “use it or lose it” is one that certainly applies to your body and all the intricate parts within it that keep it functioning. Just like if you were to leave a car parked for months on end until eventually its parts all rust and deteriorate, the same thing happens to our bodies. Our body will only maintain structures that are in constant use, so if we only use 50% of our body, then our body will only maintain that 50%.
How Much Do You Move Every Day?
Take this quiz created by the Canadian Cancer Society to find out: Physical Activity Quiz
Adaptation
What is really great about our bodies is that they are so well designed that they are extremely resilient and adaptable in nature. We can easily retrain our body out of bad health habits (like sitting too much) into good health habits (like moving more) by making slight tweaks to how we go about our daily life. Movement changes the way our body uses energy and it doesn’t take too long before your body starts to respond positively to the small changes you make to live a healthier more active lifestyle. Challenging your body by way of increased movement and physical activity creates stress on the body and all its parts like its bones and muscles, forcing it into adaptation, the end result making you stronger, fitter, healthier, smarter, and happier.
How Much, How Hard, and How Often?
How much exercise and movement will keep your health and your body functioning at its most optimal best? And how intense does the exercise or movement need to be? Also, how often?
The best way to go about it is by building it into your routine and taking that time to move as part of your daily routine/lifestyle. Exercising each and every day regardless of the activity, be it a well-paced 45-minute brisk walk or a 45-minute vigorous gym session, the common denominator is the movement. Also, it is just as important to incorporate small health breaks even while at work especially if you have a desk job. Try to incorporate some movement for every hour spent sitting. For example, before sitting down at your desk after a bathroom break so some small exercises like squats, lunges, high knees, chair dips, or desk push-ups.
Combining these small quick health breaks at work with daily physical activity will not only help you maintain a healthy weight, but it will also keep you mentally sharp, make you feel good, and add good quality years to your life.
So, keep on moving!
Yours in Health,
Dr. Heather
Bkin, DC, Acupuncture Provider