Today I was a guest on Ridge-Radio Tandridge (once the recording is up I will post it around for you to listen). Among the many topics we talked about was how to bring movement, exercise in your lifestyle.
This is especially effective for busy mums who wear multiple hats: mother, spouse, entrepreneur or busy corporate and many other roles. But no only, it’s for busy fathers as well.
We are meant to move and when we don’t use our muscles they de-condition. At the beginning it’s not visible, everything happens “under the hood”, but de-conditioning happens very fast.
We have evolved to use our bodies, like all other creatures on earth, and when we don’t use it enough it hurts, it’s stiff and weak.
Thus without further ado, here are some ideas:
1. Brushing your teeth
Small squats, small lunges or standing on one leg to work those stability muscles (make sure if you lose your balance you don’t fall on something and injure yourself.
2. Are you in a hurry?
Don’t take the car, walk faster, speed walk.
3. Cooking
Stretch out, squats, lunges or, why not, a few crunches.
4. Kids
Play with your kids, even if you feel tired. You will feel better after you move around a little, even if only for 5 minutes.
5. Your drink
Don’t ask your kids to bring you a glass of water or your spouse to make you a coffee. Get up and prepare it yourself.
6. Lifting
You don’t have you lift heavy stuff, but even light ones pick them up yourself. If you have any injuries make sure this will not make it worse.
Also, every time you need to pick up something do so by squatting, split squatting or lunging.
7. Ironing
Now this is a tricky one. Squatting, high to begin with, while ironing.
8. Bus or train stop
You can walk from one side of the platform to the other, you can stand up and sit on the bench (it will look weird but that’s ok), balance exercises, stretching, lunges. (I do all these!)
9. Groceries
Besides walking to and from the grocery shop, use the bags with groceries as weights. Like this:
- use your core muscles to keep your body balance, not leaning one side or the other, forwards or backwards
- lateral lifts, with straight arms (if you can’t you don’t need to lift all the way up in line with the shoulder)
- bicep curls
- forward lifts
- torso twists (arms alongside the body and twist from the waist)
- shoulder shrugs
- you can also walk in small lunges if you are brave
10. Sitting
Do 5 squats before you sit or lie down, every time.
11. Chair
You can sometimes stand at your desk, or use a stability ball which will activate some of the core muscles.
12. Uphill
Choose the more difficult path. When you walk uphill keep your body straight and aligned, don’t lean or bent forwards.
See what you can do from these suggestions.
Come up with some ideas and leave a comment and I will write a part 2 to this article quoting your idea. If I haven’t replied within a couple of days I might not have seen it, so contact me to let me know please (through social media or message me on the website).
She specialises in working with runners, beginners and advanced, who want to run faster, further, with less effort and fewer injuries. This is done through natural movement fitness and running technique and mechanics drawn from the many disciplines Alexandra has studies throughout the years, including long distance running.
Since 1995 she has explored how the body and mind works. She has done this through using many different sporting techniques and working with a wide variety of highly respected coaches. Throughout her Martial Arts career she has achieved 5th Dan Black Belt in Karate Shotokan, runs her own Karate club and is IJKA 2017 triple World Champion, 2016 WMO Martial Arts British National and European Champion. She still competes at an international level.
It is through these learnings, and drawing inspiration from respected natural movement names such as MovNat, IdoPortal and POSE Method of running among many others, that she has created The Merisoiu Technique and has established her own unique transformational programs that incorporate thousands of years of knowledge with Natural Human Movement.
Alexandra’s mission is to challenge the status quo of how to achieve the truly strong, fit and powerful body a runner needs to perform at their best level. This is done through building strong, lasting foundations in the natural outdoor environment; reducing the risk of injuries and educating people on the power of the fundamentals of natural human movement and running mechanics.