Think about how often you sit hunched over  in front of your computer, or how long you’ll crash on the couch at the end of your workday.  Or how about those long commutes on planes, trains or automobiles?

Over time, with this consistent sedentary behaviour, you’ll more than likely start feeling those little aches and pains all over, those creaking joints, those tight muscles, and the diffuse soreness in various body parts. It’ll get harder to go up and down a set of stairs without huffing and puffing to catch your breath. Carrying your groceries will feel like you’ve entered a powerlifting meet.

All of these add up and if ignored for too long, eventually someone has to pay the piper. And by that time, the piper is asking for a king’s ransom.

So how do you avoid needing to pay the piper?

If there’s one thing you should be doing a bit more of every day it’s this: moving.

That’s it. It is that simple. Don’t make it complicated, just get it done.

This could mean simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Or it could mean going for a brisk 30 minute walk during your lunch hour instead of sitting for the full hour. In even more basic terms, it could mean just taking a few really deep breaths while at your desk or  just making sure you change your postures every 15 minutes while you’re working away.

Yours in movement.

Dev Chengkalath

When you don't move

Being a movement guy, I get a lot of email relating to, well, movement.

Just today, in fact, I was emailed a link to an article which discussed why exercise alone is not the solution to the obesity epidemic.

No surprise there, as we all know that nutrition plays a fairly large role.

However, in this article, the author was discussing how a few hours a week of exercise was still not enough movement.

I agree.

This is where NEAT comes into play.

NEAT is the acronym for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis and represents ALL of your daily movement that’s not intentional exercise.

This includes puttering around your house (or your desk), walking to the mailbox, around the grocery store, to the dry cleaners or even your fidgeting.

Just move.

According to this article, in the past 150 years, we have dropped NEAT related calorie burn by about 2000 calories a day.

If you think that seems like a lot, it’s because it is!

We’ve stopped taking the stairs, we drive everywhere, we use remote controls and have automation everywhere. Technology is playing its part in making us fatter. 

Take a stand. And move. 

Dev Chengkalath

Even though he had a gastric bypass to jump-start his rapid weight loss, he had three simple words of wisdom that, when applied correctly, can initiate incredible changes to you body, your health and your life.

“Just move more.”

The human body was designed to move. So move more often, and not just for exercise. Try to use your muscles whenever you can.

For example, try the stairs instead of the elevator or the escalator.

Walk places instead of driving.

If you do drive, try parking farther away from the entrance and walk a bit more.

At work, go for a walk during your lunch break.

These are all simple habits that will increase your daily movement and keep you in better shape and better health.

Just move more.

Dev Chengkalath