Between work, life and everything else schedule-wise it can be tedious to keep up with physical activity. I’ve had a few conversations with clients over the years where they may have an at home program provided, and they didn’t have as much time as they expected, so they skipped it altogether. It may sound counterintuitive, but that’s fine. If you’re not recovered from previous workouts, sleep deprived, or your schedule is too packed-I get it.
Most of the time, instead of beating oneself up about missing it, I’ve found that doing a portion of it is way more helpful. This doesn’t go for just the at home programs from Intuitive Movement, either. For any aspect of exercise, skill acquisition, or any other endeavor you’re chasing after, doing 15-30 minutes a day is a very viable option. Even in some cases doing just one set of something can work if the stimulus is just enough. This keeps your foot in the door and allows you to ease it into your schedule.
I have heard of the term, “movement snack” thrown around here and there, but it wasn’t until I started doing it myself that I found the benefits of it. Something as little as a quick walk for a few minutes, or getting a single set of pushups in, that I really started to feel the benefits of it. I’ve been suggesting more of it to my clients when life gets in the way. Maybe they don’t have time to set up a barbell or do a bunch of kettlebell squats. But you can sneak in a few breathing drills while at the computer at work, or some intentional posture drills while walking from room to room. These don’t seem like a lot, but it’s the slow accumulation through the day that can really add up. Most of the time we do a workout and after those 45-60 minutes we’re done. In this case, it can be multiple exercises throughout the day that keeps you feeling refreshed. Not enough to make you awkwardly sweaty, but just enough for you to feel some things working.
When sitting for long periods of time, I like to get tall in my chair and gently press my sits bones into the chair. This gives a great opportunity to lift your head tall and feel what we refer to as “length” of the spine. If standing for long periods of time, I like to take note of where the weight is on my feet, allowing myself to shift, so I can feel some movement. This also helps you to not get “stuck” into a position and take note of where your body weight is shifting. I always tell clients that, “motion is lotion.” Both drills reference the sits bones and your center of gravity, which are things we often cue in sessions at Intuitive Movement.
In short, don’t beat yourself up if you’re not getting a full workout, but be proactive in ways that you can sneak it into your schedule through movement snacks. It isn’t going to add more weight to what you lift, but it will continue to help you feel refreshed throughout those busy days.
Until next time,
Jacob Mills,
Intuitive Movement