Keep Moving
October 2003



Now that the whirl of summer is over and the days are shorter, cooler, quieter, we may feel less motivation to get outside and get active. This is when it really counts! If you are feeling sluggish, bored, going through some “blues” or uncertainty, give it a try. You might be amazed with the result!

The Chain Reaction
If you sit at a desk or are generally in one location throughout the course of the day, break it up! Every hour get out of your chair and move around, shake it baby, shake it! The progression looks a little like this: you sit for a long time in one spot, the blood pools to your lower body, your muscles stiffen around your joints, your low back fatigues, and shoulders roll forward causing the muscles in between the shoulder blades to overstretch/weaken, resulting in the tightening of your chest/pectoral muscles. All of that leads to neck, shoulder, wrist and back pain!

It is like the Jenga game where all the blocks are stacked in alignment one on top of the other. Piece by piece you pull out blocks to see how long it will stay standing. The remaining blocks can compensate for a while, holding the extra pressure, but eventually the Jenga pile falls apart and so does your body.

Shake It Up Baby!
Here’s where you get into action. Use any or all of the following recommendations to get moving or make up your own and send them to me!

1. If you use Outlook or Outlook Express on your computer, put in the planner for 6 am Monday to “breathe” or “stretch”. First thing in the morning it will pop up to remind you, you breathe or stretch, then postpone 1 hour and an hour later it reminds you again! Repeat through the week. You can plan “go for a walk” or “stretch” at other times of the day as well.

2. If you use a day planner write in similar reminders or put a Post-It note on the page so every time you look at the day you are reminded to get into motion. You could also use little bright dot stickers that you put in various times and use that to symbolize specific things- green sticker is to go outside for 5 minutes, red is to stand up and stretch, yellow is to do neck rolls… you get the idea. Notice where you get tight and choose an appropriate action.

3. Plan a walk with a friend. Often times we will “show up” if others are counting on us. Schedule a daily walk before or after work with a friend or use your lunch break to take a walk. During one Portland, OR winter I had a lunch buddy. We would zip to the bathroom, change from stockings and skirts to athletic gear and go for a 20-30minute power walk. There was no shower but we felt so great that we didn’t care. We found a way to make it work and our afternoons were incredibly productive!

Motivation: Inspiration vs. Fear
In motivation there are a couple schools of thought — Benefits: “I know that ‘blah blah blah’ is good for me and will cause me to feel x, y and z so I will do it” or Fear/Consequences: “I know that if I don’t do ‘yadda yadda’ it will cause me the consequences of a, b, and c.” (Sometimes we even wait for the consequences to force us into it- when the pain is greater than the perceived inconvenience of the positive action — like when you get sick and are forced to rest.)

How do you operate? What motivates you — inspiration or fear? Neither is better, but knowing can help you kick it into gear. Whatever your method, focus on what gets you into action!

Start Right Now!
Stand up. Yes, I mean you. Stand up and take a really deep breath but keep your shoulders and chest down — no soldier breathing here, belly breathe. As you take your next breath raise your arms up overhead and stretch as high as you can. As you exhale fold all the way forward and hang your head down. (I know you can’t read here, so plan ahead.) On the next inhale roll slowly up through each vertebra, stacking them one on top of the other until you are upright. Make your legs really long and stand with your weight evenly over both feet. Clasp your hands behind you (if you can’t reach, use a coat, belt, or a broom), and roll your shoulders back and open, breathing fully.

Notice how a simple exercise like this, that takes a minute or two of your time, can make a difference?

So, before closing, make an agreement with yourself right now of how you will put this to use, even in the smallest way — a note, a daily stretch. What are you willing to do starting now? Write it down and plan around it.

Enjoy Your Autumn!

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