"Life requires movement" -Aristotle

We sit in our car to commute to work. We sit most of the day at work. And when we come home, we sit on a couch or desk until its time for bed. Somewhere in the day we may go to the gym or take a walk, but is it enough?

In our modern world, we often do not get enough movement. In attempts to supplement an otherwise sedentary life, we jam pack high intensity/high effort exercise into a 60 minute session and then wonder why we get injured. 

The human body wasn't really made to be still. The most common complaints of joint pain that I hear in the clinic are from prolonged sitting, standing, and even after laying in bed to sleep. It seems counterintuitive, but joint pain is often a sign that joints are not getting the movement they require. Articular cartilage which is just the medical word for cartilage inside a joint, does not have its own blood supply.  The only way your joints receive nutrients is through movement. 

So in addition to your 60 minute afternoon gym sessions, let's brainstorm some ways to get your joints/body a little more movement throughout the day. 

When can you squeeze in extra walking, even if its only 10 minutes at a time? In the morning after breakfast? On your lunch break? After dinner? Next time you have a free 10 minutes, stop scrolling your phone and take a quick walk instead. And bonus points if you can walk outside because fresh air and Vitamin D work wonders on the mind and body. 

How can you modify your office/workplace set-up to promote movement. I always recommend a sit-stand desk when possible. And then get something that is NOT EASY to sit-on so you aren't tempted to plop down on your a$s for hours at a time. Get a wobble chair, kneeling stool, exercise ball etc... Spend your day alternating between sitting/standing. And then everything in between. Sometimes I kneel, sometimes I lunge, some time I squat. Bottom line-keep changing positions! 

Could you spend your evening TV time moving while you catch up on your Netflix show? What if you moved to the floor instead of couch and spent this time doing mobility work. I like TV as much as you do, but I also know it is a colossal waste of time. So this is my strategy. I fill the otherwise dead time watching TV on the ground working on mobility or any supplemental positions I want to stretch into. 

Lastly, if you aren't familiar with joint CARS (controlled articular rotations) they are a great supplement to ensure your joints are moving and grooving in all directions. I use a basic full body daily routine that takes about 10 minutes. This has become as habit to me as brushing my teeth. 

These are just some ideas. They may or may not fit with your lifestyle, but hopefully they spark the thought of what little changes could you make. How can you squeeze a little more movement into your day? 

Stay strong,