We are designed for physical activity like walking, running, bending, stretching, stomping, pushing, pulling, squatting, rolling, crawling, jumping … and dancing! We are born with this design – as you can see in small children. They explore the world via movement, and this is how they learn and develop. Movement activities are essential for healthy brain and body development. There is a natural need for movement and a natural joy that occurs when moving. For millennia, we humans have moved our bodies for shelter and food to secure our very survival. Movement has been ingrained in human’s daily lives, and it has been a natural part of being since the beginning of human history.
Modern life-style erodes our natural desire to move.
The industrialization and the use of motor vehicles has certainly contributed to our sedentary lifestyle. Today our inactive lives include hours spent in front of computers or other devices, using robots for vacuum cleaning or lawn mowing, online shopping and digital home assistants. Advances in technology have made our lives considerably more convenient. However, these conveniences correspond with reduced physical activity during the day as less movement is necessary for even the smallest task. It is not uncommon for an average person to get up in the morning to have breakfast, then walk to the car to drive to work, sit at desk for 8 hours, drive home, order food in, and spend the evening sitting at their computer to play video games. We have come a far cry form being in our bodies!
Our modern inactive lifestyle makes us sick.
Having an inactive lifestyle may lead to weight gain, diabetes, poor blood circulation, more inflammation or hormonal imbalances. Not getting enough regular exercise can be one of the causes of many chronic diseases: You raise your risk of obesity, heart diseases, including coronary artery disease and heart attack. It also affects your mental health. Body, mind and spirit are connected. Whereas lack of movement may lead to depression or anxiety, being in our body and moving regularly makes us feel vibrant, balanced and alive!
Frequent physical activities during the day keeps us healthy.
We can learn from the Blue Zones, those areas on this planet where people live healthily to a hundred or more. These people live in communities where they can walk to a friend’s house or the local market. They move naturally throughout the day which includes walking and doing simple chores such as gardening, harvesting, making bread or chopping wood. In other words, we need to consciously create more inconveniences in our daily life to keep moving and stay healthy.
I want to mention my mother here: At 85 years-old, she does all her errands on her bicycle (not an e-bike). She visits her sisters and friends using her bicycle as well. (Mind you she lives on the boarder to the Netherlands, so the country is really flat.) She doesn’t have a dish washer, and also still washes her windows by hand, cleans her house regularly (and vigorously), loves gardening and uses the stairs in the house many times a day. By intentionally keeping things on different floors of the house, she nudges herself into using the stairs often. Smart!
Regular natural movement versus exercise
It has become evident that one hour in the gym cannot balance out a full day of sitting. Besides inactivity puts strain on the body; a sedentary life comes with fixed hips, tight muscles and a stiff and rigid body. When the body gets into movement, it may easily hurt and be prone to injury. Ideally, we create an environment and a life-style where we are encouraged to move several times a day. Getting up form the desk every half an hour, walking or cycling to work, using the stairs instead of the elevator or going for a walk after dinner are some examples of adding more movement to our daily lives.
Body awareness helps us to connect to our body.
Alexander Technique (AT) can be instrumental in guiding you how to live in your body again. Connection to our body is essential to break that pattern of not moving (enough) and of moving with too much strain and effort. Modern life often encourages us to move through life quickly and be ahead of ourselves. We lose a sense for our body and its needs. The principles of AT invite you to open our senses, listen to our bodies, be present with ourselves and go about our day with more ease. Reflexology can also contribute to a better connection to oneself. Many of my clients report after to go for walks more often or put their screens on hold to play more with their (grand-)children. Our natural desire to move transpires when we connect to ourselves and our bodies. We are designed for (natural) movement!
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