Hey ladies, I wanted to share my five reasons why we should be walking more and sitting less.
So, I know y’all have heard – “Sitting is the new smoking.” So, I’m getting up and walking and moving more. I’ve been sitting a bit more than usual- because I’m training less in person clients and doing more virtual training. That calls for sitting at the computer, and I’ve noticed some tightness in the areas of my body that I didn’t use to have. So what do you do? You walk it out and move a little more outside of my normal training schedule.
Plus, I’ve got to fur babies that will help reinforce the issue.
We spend so much time in front of the TV, or at the computer, etc… and it’s making us lazy and less mobile. In fact, all this sitting actually creates movement problems, such as tight hip flexors. It also can create problems actually using our glutes – eventually, they no longer activate, and one or our largest muscles is rendered nearly useless. Our hips are tight, our backs are sore – upper and lower. Our heads are jutting too far forward looking at screens, etc…
Have you thought to yourself “Why am I so freaking achy?” I know, I have, and I’m doing something about it.
I know we get our regular workouts in several times a week, but that’s just 3-5 hours a week. What about the rest of the hours? The rest of the time we are spending most of our time sitting and not moving.
1. Your butt hurts and its numb (basically it fell asleep) – lol, no butt (but) really! Sit too much, and your butt starts to get achy and sleepy. Your glutes, aka your butt – the muscle can get lazy and turn off. If we don’t put our butts to use – they lie dormant. A lot of times they may be the reason your back is out of wack! It’s rarely your back itself that causes the pain.
2. Multi-Tasking – You can get some stuff done while your walking too.
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- Phone a friend- Good time to catch up with friends.
- Listen to a book or a podcast- I love this. I can get through a book quicker by listening to it. Saves time by not sitting and reading.
3. If you have dogs – This is a no brainer. Our fur babies thrive on walking. They need and love it! Making sure they get their daily movement in, it’s important too. Want to get your dogs to learn tricks? Try teaching them, right after a walk. They are calmer, and tend to obey more – the commands might be easier for them to do!
4. Energy boost – Ever notice, after sitting for so long you start to feel tired. That’s a great cue to get up and move or around of get a walk in. Walking and moving is a great way to increase those energy levels. In fact, it’s on par with a cup of coffee, and if it’s late in the day, it won’t keep you up at night like coffee will.
5. Mental Boost- The fresh air and change of scenery is good for your mindset. Moving gets the blood and mental juices flowing. I notice that if I’m stuck on something at work, it’s usually good to get up and walk away. Usually, that mental timeout combined with some movement will give me a fresh perspective, and when I get back to the problem – the solution is staring out at me, plain as day.
Check this great article by Dr. Jade Teta out on how walking can also lower your cortisol: Two Changes to Your Walking Will Lower Cortisol even More.
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