We are in an epidemic of fast paced life, always being connected and demands on our time from work, family and life. Our bodies were not designed for this constant over attention and stimulation and this constant medium level of stress.
Negative effects include increase mental health issues, cardiac issues, gut health issues and musculoskeletal issues to name a few. How can we combat this way of life? EXERCISE –SITTING—BREATHING
Exercise – We are designed to move! We evolved from running around the African Plains and are not designed to simply sit watching or staring at a screen. Modern life is changing our skeletal systems. We have new injuries like iphone thumb or game boy fingers etc. These did not exist 20 years ago.
Modern technology has a lot to answer for. The benefit of movement across all our systems is profound, from our mental wellbeing to our cardiovascular system to reducing diabetic risk and obesity to ensuring we stay strong. Every one should be doing 3-5 bouts of moderate exercise per week. We need to keep strong.
Good resistance training with good technique is critical to help improve and combat these effects. Flexibility is key.
A strong mobile spine is key to good posture and good health. We are asymmetrical creatures and we need to ensure we mobilise our tissue to unload the negative effects of sitting and static postures so flexibility like Yoga, Pilates or different stretching is a key part of any program.
Sitting – Sitting is the new smoking. It is bad for us. Increased rates of obesity, increased cardiac risks, increased diabetes risks and not to mention the increased rates at which we are seeing spinal pain and problems.
We all need to move. Do not sit for more than 30-40 mins in each hour, get up and move, walk to the printer. Stand and stretch, move your arms around twist your spine, move your neck and stretch your hips.
Breathe – We need to ensure we stop! Calm the system check our breathing, slow the rate down and relax that tension. Activate our parasympathetic system and learn how to breathe again. Try to expand your ribs out to the side. Feel what its like to let go for just 1 minute.
There are a multitude of apps and devices that can help to encourage you to take breaks track your movement, remind you to sit well or to stop and focus on your breathing. Use this data to inspire and change your habits and patterns for a more balanced and happier way of being.
