It’s Time To Get Up And Move

How often do you get up to move your body and stretch during the day?

If your daily exercise consists of Joe Wicks PE class and maybe a run, walk the dog or do a random workout from YouTube and spend the rest of your day behind a computer, you need to get up and move more.

And also read on!

If working from home is your new normal, there’s a great chance that you are spending a lot of time sitting at a computer and potentially for longer periods than you did before the lockdown! The danger with that is you stiffen up, experience lower back pain and feel like you have the mobility of a 90 year old!

In this post, I want to help you:

• Feel less tension around your upper back, neck and shoulders
• Feel more energised and get more done
• Wake up in the morning and jump out of bed

Feel Less Tension Around Your Upper Back, Neck and Shoulders

Have you ever noticed how your body wants to sit up straight, chest lifted and back arched from time to time when you’re sitting working? Sometimes you even stretch your arms up overhead at the same time? 

This is your body's way of telling you that it feels stiff and needs to stretch.

The brain recognises your body feels stiff from sitting in the same position for too long - hunched over at your desk while you work on a computer. Curiously, the position your body naturally moves into when it feels weary is the exact opposite position from the one you’re sitting in. This is no coincidence.

The problem with being stuck in one position too long is that your joints create a new habit and begin to favour the position you’re in most of the time. This is unlikely to affect your work but you’re more than likely to feel it when you go to do other things like lift things above your head or do any upper body exercises. Do you feel your shoulders tire first? Do you feel like your arms aren’t strong enough when you do floor-based exercises like press ups?

The solution - get up and do some gentle movements. Some people will do the usual stretches but they’re likely to give you a short-term relief. I recommend spending a few minutes every couple of hours practicing movements that will get your upper body moving better and doing this every day. The more frequent you can do these, the more the back will respond, you’ll create new habits and feel less likely to need a massage. Here are some exercises you can try:

Feel More Energised And Get More Done

Who wouldn’t like to feel more energised throughout the day and become more productive?

Are you getting as much quality work done as you think you are in the same number of hours you’d be doing if you were at work? How often are you scrolling through social media or searching the internet when you should be doing something more important? 

Sitting for too long staring at a computer screen is going to drain your energy and as a result, you lose concentration. Being at home makes it harder to stay focused when there are so many distractions, particularly a fridge full of good food less than a minute away! 

The solution - take shorter, more regular breaks will help. Not only in doing the exercises above but also to go get a drink of water, stand outside and get some fresh air will help clear your mind, think through the work that you’re doing so that when you return to what you’re doing, you’ll feel refreshed and have a plan to complete what you’re doing in less time.

Wake Up In The Morning and Jump Out Of Bed

Are you finding that you’re more active now than you were before the lockdown?

Somehow it feels different when we’re being told to go out once a day to exercise! With pace of life a lot different from what it was before, this creates a great opportunity to make a positive change to our lives. This means taking the time to go and exercise whether it be a run, walk or bike ride, take time out to cook meals and eat slower rather than grabbing something on the go and most importantly, getting better quality sleep. This will make a massive difference to your general well-being.

The solution - when you’re exercising, focus on how it makes you feel. Go explore places locally you haven’t been before or visit places that offer great views. When you change that aspect, the whole value of exercising changes as you’re doing it for you and not a means to an end. You can also use it to help plan or reflect on your day, depending on when you go out. Switch off the internet etc earlier and ensure you get a good night’s sleep. 

When this happens, along with being more active, taking regular breaks throughout the day and moving more, you’ll wake up ready to start your day and no longer need the snooze button.

The Next Steps

Plan your routine and base it around the person you’d like to be and the characteristics of that person as much as what you think you should be doing. Understanding the person you would like to be and how you can create that will help shape your day and the activities you do. If you are still getting up early in the mornings, come try my Wake Up Sessions at 7am live on Facebook. 

If you’re enjoying the exercises above and would like some help to get you moving better, whether to help improve your performances in running or cycling or to help overcome a chronic injury, contact me and let’s have a chat. I’d be delighted to help you!