Wednesdays wouldn’t be voted on as the best day of the week, am I right? Most people see them as the tip of their weekly mountain, and just want to get to the other side. Don’t be so grumpy, give y FINISH ME.
My exercise physiology class is 5 hours long. From 9am until 2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I sit in a classroom/lab and learn about all of the cool things that happen to the body during and as a result of exercise. It’s certainly interesting, but nothing in the world can make me enjoy sitting still for 5 hours. To avoid the stiffness and boredom, I’ve been taking walks every chance I get.
We’ve been getting 2 breaks during class so far: One in the middle of the lecture, and on before we switch to the lab. The breaks usually last about 10-15 minutes, which gives me just enough time to take off for the other side of the building. When you find yourself sitting for an hour and a half at a time, any sort of physical activity is going to be a welcome relief for your body. In 15 minutes yesterday, I managed to go up two flights of stairs, across a building, down a flight, take two laps around Adelphi’s indoor track, fill up my water bottle, and return back to my classroom, up a flight, across the building, and down two flights of stairs.
Was it exercise? No. Did my body appreciate it? Yes.
I’ve said before that I don’t like to consider walking exercise, but instead physical activity. Training hard is very important, and you should be doing more of it. You also need to include various bouts of low-grade physical activity into your day, so your mind and body understand that movement is the status quo, not sitting on your tush staring at a screen like you’re doing right now. (Obviously, I’m doing it as I write this.) If you couldn’t tell, that’s what I want you to do today. Get up and move. Right now.
If you need some motivation, check out this awesome little fact sheet that I found on the interwebz that includes some awesome facts about sitting. If this doesn’t make you get up and move, I’m not sure what will.*
I bet you want to get up now, don’t you! Great, try to do it every chance you get, from taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator, to parking at the back of the parking lot and walking, to walking just a little farther to get water or eat lunch. It’s easy, and in the long run, those little things add up.
Make conscious decisions to benefit your health. Healthy eating and proper exercise go a long way, but the little things, such as drinking more water and walking more, will do much more than you think. In case you need some more motivation, here’s a nice little kick in the ass from three of the greatest wise men in all of history. If you’re confused, go for a walk and try to figure it out; your body will thank you!
Harold Gibbons 