10 EASY DAILY MOVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
(that will help you feel more ease and mobility in your body!)
Think small.
Even doing 1 minute of some sort of movement adds up over days, weeks and months.
Small, stacked habits steadily growing are always better than an all or nothing approach.
1.TOES - Mexican wave your toes in the shower. Try one foot at a time or both together when you get good at this. Lift all toes then see if you can lower them down one by one starting with the little toe. So many variations to try here.
2. FEET - Roll a hard lacrosse or massage ball under your feet as you sit at your desk working. Do this with bare feet and apply some gentle downward pressure so the connective tissue (fascia) on your soles can loosen up. (This also helps with tight hamstrings BTW - it’s all connected.)
3. ANKLES/WRISTS - Ankle and wrist rotations while watching TV. Make this your thing to do for a few minutes each time you sit down. For maximum effect these are great done really slowly, moving the joint through as big a range of motion as possible.
4. LEGS - Calf raises while waiting in any queue. While we all love waiting in queues, this means the time is never wasted:) If you’d rather not do this in public, choose the point below instead.
5. BREATHE - Breath awareness while waiting in a queue or driving. Notice your breath as you breathe in and out through your nose. Count an even number in and out. Try to make the breath silent, gentle, smooth, low and slow. You could try starting at 3 counts in, 3 counts out and increase if this feels effortless. Don’t force your breath, keep it gentle.
6. KNEES & HIPS - Squat rather than bend each time you take something out of a low cupboard or washing machine. You can even squat for a while when you work on your laptop for some movement variety in a more static day. Keep feet planted on the floor, hinge at the hip and bend at the knees, back as upright as possible. You can lift your heels if need be but work towards feeling stable with the entire foot on the floor.
7. SHOULDERS - Circle your arms moving from the shoulder joint 5 x each side while you make a phone call.
8. BALANCE - Balance on 1 leg while brushing your teeth. If you are feeling unsteady, lightly rest your toes on the floor but focus on pressing down evenly through the sole and pulling up through the thigh muscles of the standing leg.
9. SPINE - Roll 6 x forwards and backwards and 6 times side to side in bed before you get up in the morning.
10. WHOLE BODY - Gently bounce, shake your limbs and get floppy waiting for the kettle to boil. Start at the ankles moving up to the hips and at the wrists moving up to the shoulders. As well as looking silly, this can really easily help to release tension and may make you smile..
Good luck! And remember, think small.
