Keep on Moving

No. Not an invitation to change your address and make life more stressful than it already is. Nor is it a suggestion to neglect your mind and body’s need to rest and recharge. Rather it’s simply a reminder that we did not evolve to remain seated for hours at a time with our eyes fixed on one object. But that’s how more and people are spending their days – and their evenings - hunched in front of a computer or smartphone screen for hours on end.

Besides the cognitive decline that results from squinting passively at streams of largely meaningless images, our posture suffers from the lack of movement that is a common feature of the sedentary lifestyle. It’s something we all know. It’s just surprising how easily we forget to move and keep our bodies active. The less we use our bodies, the more uncomfortable our bodies become. Today would be a good day to correct this little problem.

The answer is reassuringly simple. All you need to do is stand up every twenty or thirty minutes, breathe more deeply and do a couple of gentle stretches. A two-minute break two or three times per hour will work wonders for your health and wellbeing. Now, you probably thought we were going to recommend something drastic like a ten-kilometer run every lunchtime. But, no. This is not the best answer for everyone. It’s better to begin gently and focus on careful, comfortable movements that relieve pressure on the joints and improve blood circulation. That’s where a couple of minutes of deeper breathing and pain-free stretching can prove surprisingly effective in refreshing your mind and unlocking the inevitable physical stress that accumulates when you sit for too long.?

If it isn’t practical for you to pause every twenty minutes or so, make a point of standing up at least once an hour. Change your point of focus. Look out of the window. Give your mind and your eyes a rest. It isn’t complicated but it’s a habit that can improve your mental acuity whilst you quietly respect your body’s need to be a little more active.

Hundreds of thousands of years of evolution has given us a physical form that benefits from regular exercise. We would be wise to respect this hard-worn heritage and allocate a little time each day to creating a stronger, fitter and healthier body. It’s where you live. It makes sense to take good care of your home.

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