Movement Daily Routine and Habits

The goal to health is activity.  Just getting out and moving is a great start and way to your path of a healthy lifestyle.  This doesn’t have to be training for a marathon or competing in an Olympic weightlifting competition.  Going for a walk or joining a rec league are great ways to get out and MOVE.  There are no unwritten rules to movement.  Just go out and do it!  I get it, you may have a job that requires you to sit at a desk for 6-8 hours per day.  You also may have a family of 3 kids that requires you to constantly be performing household chores to keep up in life.  I hear you!  This blog is not written to criticize or make you feel bad for your necessary duties that you must do in order to continue life.  I only hope to empower you to just add a little movement each day to develop habits and a daily routine that will create confidence and instill a lifestyle for years to come.  Here are 5 tips that will help you towards your trajectory of a movement lifestyle!

1. Develop a routine

Look, I understand we are all busy and developing a routine is easier said than done.  Like mentioned earlier in the blog, I am not asking you to spend 3 hours in the gym or start running 5 miles per day.  A little goes a long way.  Start by planning a time of the day when you are going to get some activity in.  Maybe it’s 15 minutes in the morning or right before bed.  On your lunch break could work as well!  Just showing up is a start.

2. Daily walk

Try to go for a walk every day.  Get outside and enjoy the sun and get some steps in at the same time.  A study done in 2021 by Paluch et. Al, showed that adults taking at least 7000 steps/d, compared with those taking fewer than 7000 steps/d, had approximately 50% to 70% lower risk of mortality.  Walking is a great way to start the process of movement and towards an active lifestyle.

3. Join a recreational league

Playing intramural sports can be helpful in adding different planes of movement to your life.  Joining a rec league is a great way to add some cardio to your routine as well.  

4. Sit and stand

Sitting is not the new smoking.  The lack of change in position and being in a prolonged state is the new smoking.  If you have a job that requires you to sit for 6-8 hours, try to get up and move around every half hour to an hour.  I also recommend getting a sit/stand desk.  This helps empower the ability to change your position throughout the day.  Try not to stand the entire duration of the day.  This can be fatiguing on the musculoskeletal system as well.  Having the ability to sit and relax the body can be helpful in not placing stress on joints that otherwise need some rest as well.

5. Join a gym

Joining a gym and showing up is a great way to start your journey.  This can include weightlifting or running on the treadmill.  This all means you are moving and on your way to a healthier lifestyle.  If you need help, just ask.  There are trainers and staff at the gym that are there to help in maintaining a healthy and safe environment.  Joining a gym is certainly not a must but it will definitely help you get to your goals faster.

6. Mobility and strength

Develop a mobility and strength routine to become more robust and functional so that you can conquer your activities of daily living.  This is important in being able to move efficiently without the risk of injury.  If you need help, start by consulting with a professional by hiring a trainer or schedule a visit with a movement practitioner.  This can be either a chiropractor or physical therapist that will evaluate your movement and develop a plan of action to meet your goals and needs.  Your mobility routine can be simple but efficient to ensure that you are moving well in order to be able to take on certain exercises that will empower your body to be able to load in a proper manner.  Like your mobility routine, your stability and strength routine can be simple and gauged to your goals.  This mobility and strength routine needs to be tailored to you.

I hope this blog finds you well and empowers you to just START your movement journey.  At the end of the day, just getting started is the first step in a lifestyle that attains healthy habits.  I am not here to judge you.  I am just here to create joy in the ability to move.  We need more joy with movement.  If you need some advice or help with developing a movement routine and healthy habits, give us a call here at Team Elite Chiropractic at 858-633-8036 where we pride ourselves in the movement lifestyle.