How do you add movement to your workday?

Commonly, we are caught up in the day-to-day commotion of daily life and forget to prioritize self-care. Fortunately, there has been a growing global focus on mental health and well-being, which is a significant step forward for our bodies, particularly our minds. During the day, it is easy to become trapped in a cycle of extreme productivity. We sit too long, miss meals, and neglect our need to return to our natural state of movement. According to the HeartMath Institute, moving creates an opportunity to experience Coherence, a state of cooperative alignment between the heart, mind, emotions, and physical systems. In short, we should all strive to move more and prioritize our physical and mental health.

Human beings are always unfair with time. I always have an uplifting gesture of redeeming wasted. I do this by ensuring I have SMART goals so as to achieve my desired outcome. Setting the SMART goals enables one to reduce anxiety about the final outcome to be achieved. Many people would suggest spending time in the morning to work well, what if you don't want to workout in the morning? What would happen? Nothing! People need to have clear SMART goals in relation to the management of time so that whatever activity they indulge in does not interfere with their mental state whenever they change their time to do it.

Incidental exercise is the key to increasing movement throughout the day. Setting a step goal daily is also a great way to challenge yourself to increase activity. Make exercise part of your routine and it will become a lifestyle.

Movement is essential to maintaining good physical, mental, and emotional health. The benefits of physical activities include improved cardiovascular health, maintenance of healthy body weight, increased energy levels, and better quality sleep. Furthermore, movement fosters a sense of well-being and can be a fun and great way to connect. Whether through structured workouts, outdoor activities, or simply incorporating more movement into your workday routines, the benefits of moving more are undeniably the cornerstone of a healthy and fulfilling life.

Something that I try to encourage is for people to find a buddy to do this with, that way you have the motivating factor of accountability as well as the social aspect which makes it something to look forward to. They can also then schedule it into their calendars as a daily or weekly event that they work their schedule around. Having someone else to do it with means you're less likely to cancel the plan!

I integrate movement into my daily schedule that aligns with the demands of my routine. I kickstart my mornings with a few minutes of stretching to awaken my body and mind. I make it a point to take breaks from sitting throughout the day. In the evenings, I hop onto my stationary bike while engaging activities like reading or catching up with friends over the phone. These daily movement rituals serve as the foundation of my active lifestyle. Depending on the dynamics of my day, I supplement these routines with more vigorous activities such as playing tennis or going to the gym. Having my movement plan complimenting my life makes it easier to stay committed.

I love to use the morning hours before starting to work for a short walk! (In this case combining it with bringing the kids to school and kindergarten). It’s also a great way to do a walk and talk with others personally or by phone. So if you know you can switch an online meeting into a walk and talk - do it and invite the other part as well to do so!

Morning routines - even short ones - are great! Get up and have our fluids move after a night sleep, get some sun on our face. I like a short meditation, a bit of stretching and at least one dance! At least 2x week a power walk for 30min with a friend, so good to share and socialize whilst exercising! I am a big fan of incidental movement. Walk or bike to the shops, walk up the stairs instead of using the lift etc. And when at my desk, regular short pauses, get up and stretch or get a glass of water rather than having the bottle of water next to me. I also plan my exercise time in my calendar, in particular when it requires 1h or more.

Breathing is not only essential for our physical health, but it also has an amazing impact on our mental wellbeing. It's the simplest and easiest movement available to us, but as adults, we tend to forget its importance. Luckily, we can do it anytime and anywhere! Whenever I feel stressful or anxious, I simply close my eyes, take a deep breath, and start a deep breathing exercise for 5-10 minutes. This always helps me to reduce my stress levels, improve my focus and feel more relaxed.

I try to do walking meetings with staff, as it not only gets us moving but also gives us a chance to get away from the work environment and speak more candidly. I love the concept of incidental exercise where it happens as you go about your day, and doesn't need to be scheduled.

Choose movement activities that you enjoy and can easily incorporate into your routine. One of my absolute favorites is playing tennis. To make it a regular part of my life, my friend and I have established a wonderful tradition of meeting up every weekend to play a tennis match. This weekly rendezvous allows me to participate in an activity that I love and also allows me to spend quality time with a cherished friend. Moreover, our tennis sessions double as an intense cardio workout, ensuring I stay active and healthy while indulging in the sport I love. It's a win-win scenario that makes exercise feel more like a delightful adventure than a chore.

Constructive pauses whilst working from home can be incredibly beneficial for productivity and wellbeing. IAntentional breaks allow you to recharge your energy, clear your mind, and maintain focus throughout the day. This can be taking a short walk, practicing mindfulness exercises like yoga stretches, or engaging in a new hobby, such pauses help to break up the monotony of remote work and prevent burnout. By stepping away from your laptop and shifting your attention to something different does you lots of good., you can then return to your tasks with with renewed energy ?? a mere walk to the window and watching the world go by for even a few moments refreshes your body and mind, those small regular movements all add up

Anytime you want to add a new habit, the key is sustainability. If the habit is easily remembered and there is minimal friction to perform the habit, it will have a higher likelihood of sticking. This is why it is important to be intentional with how you add movement to your day. For example, it may be difficult to remember to get up and move every hour, but it is easier to get in the habit of taking a 30 second lap around the house in between any back to back meetings or creating a stretching routine you do during recurring meetings where you can be off camera. Those are just a few examples, but by conscious in your efforts, it will be much easier to stick with your movement habits in the long run.