Sometimes a blessing has a painful entrance.
A small example: my kneecap isn’t staying in the correct place when I bend it, which means when I keep my knee bent for a prolonged period (aka a great amount of the time), my knee HURTS.
Even though it has always been poor for my health to be still for too long, now I have an immediate consequence when I do so: a sore knee.
Due to this prompt pain, it hasn’t been difficult to convince myself to get up and move around throughout the day! I’m hoping even after my knee is better I will continue to create margins of movement daily. I am seeing benefits far beyond my knee feeling better: increased strength + flexibility, a clearer mind, and more motivation after my movement breaks to get back to work.
Don’t let it take an injury or pain to motivate you to create margins of movement in your day!
Every hour or two, GET UP, take a walk, do a wall squat, or do this simple exercise below.
Stand (or sit if you must), arms at your sides.
Find a long spine, sternum lifted, navel pulling in towards the spine, gaze forward.
Relax your shoulders.
On the inhale, sweep your arms out to the side and overhead.
On the exhale, sweep the arms back down to your sides.
Try your best to match your movement to the breath, you may have to slow down to do this.
Close your eyes or soften your gaze so that you can really pay attention to the sensations in your body.
Do this 10 times. Rest for a few breaths with your arms at your sides noticing the sensations in your body.
Congratulate yourself on taking time out of your busy day for YOU.
