Frequent Low-Level Physical Activity -and- Frequent Full Range Movement are two pieces of the health equation that many people often neglect.
Frequent Low-Level Physical Activity
If you have a fitness tracker, it likely tells you to get up every hour and move. While there are numerous benefits to strength training and intense exercise, studies have shown that frequent movement may be even more important when it comes to managing long-term health markers like blood sugar and cognitive function, along with lowering your risk for heart disease and certain cancers.
I encourage you to find ways to incorporate more low-level physical activity into your day (e.g. get up from your desk every hour, do some yard work, walk a mile after dinner, or even just reframe household work as “exercise” in your mind).*
*One study showed that housekeepers burnt more calories and lost more weight by simply thinking about their jobs as exercise.
Frequent Full Range Movement
Your body does an amazing job adapting to its daily environment. If you stop moving a joint or muscle through a full range of motion, the joint becomes stiffer and harder to move, the muscle becomes less stable in those deeper ranges, and your mind / muscle connection weakens (i.e. does your body know how to brace and get into a position safely).
Take each joint and muscle through a full range of motion for a just a few reps on a daily basis, and you’ll likely improve your posture, your range of motion, and keep your joints and muscles healthy for a much longer period of time.
Get Low-Level Physical Activity & Full Range Movement in 5-10 minutes per day:
Keep this warm-up for your future self. We recommend doing it 1x a day. It takes 5-10 minutes to complete, and it’s a great way to:
- Get a dose of low-level physical activity
- Correct daily posture
- Take each joint and muscle through a full range of motion
- Warm and activate most muscles for about any workout
It may look like a lot, but it flows easily from one movement to the next, and you’ll likely have it memorized after your first few attempts:
4B Full Body / Full Range Warm-up
10 Straight Leg Kicks (supine)
10 Glute Bridge
10 Lateral Openers / Per Side
10 Scorpions
10 Blackburns
10 Rock Backs
10 Abducted Rock Backs
10 Cat Cows
10 Mountain Climbers
10 90/90 Transitions
10 Down Dog Toe Touch
10 Forward + Lateral + Reverse Lunge (5/side)
5 Sumo Good Mornings
5 Sumo Squats
5 Good Mornings
5 Squats
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