The simple answer is no….
One hour a day does not cancel out 10 hours of sitting for the rest of the day.
One hour a day does not cancel out an abominable diet of fast food and processed snacks.
One hour a day does not cancel out countless hours of screen time streaming your favorite shows and indulging in social media.
This is especially true if that one hour only comes three times per week. Think about this, one week contains 168 hours. If you only focus on your health and well being for three hours, that leaves 165 hours. Are those hours spent sitting on the couch, in your car, or at your desk?
Don’t get me wrong, three hours a week is better than nothing. It’s really amazing how much of a difference three hours a week can make compared to zero hours a week. In the grand scheme of things, though, if we’re only focused on our health and well-being 1.8% of the time, we’re not going to achieve the goals we want.
How to Add More Movement
Consistency is the key and doing our homework is crucial. The need for physical movement is built into our DNA. It’s part of being human. So how can you keep it up? How can you move and use your body well if you aren’t in the gym?
Essentially, you have to figure out how to add movement in throughout your day. There are lots of easy ways to do this. Try out a different variation of sitting. You can squat, kneel, stand, or replace your chair with an exercise ball. You can do all sorts of things to stay active while on the computer or doing other “sedentary” work.
Stand up desks are definitely a great place to start. The key is to be regularly moving between how you stand as well. Walk around, squat, and stretch from time to time.
Taking your shoes off is another great option that’s going to make you move a little bit more, going to help your ankle mobility, and improve the health of your feet.
We cannot create two different aspects of our lives-one sedentary, one moving. Movement has to be a part of who we are and how we live. If you want to be more mobile, if you want to prevent injuries, if you want to increase your core strength or your cardio, this is the easiest and most natural way to do it.
It doesn’t have to be over the top and you don’t have to kill yourself five days a week in the gym. You just need more consistent and constant movement. How can you make your day more dynamic today?
