After eight weeks of constant focus on fitness and exercise it is very apparent this is a key process for our mental and physical health.
It is essential to understand the dynamics of fitness and develop a variety of routines that provide optimal benefits. With a dozen core fitness routines that can be done whenever and wherever you schedule them you are much more likely to maintain your fitness and health. Last week we discussed power pushup routines and now we will focus on fitness with basic modifications to your daily sitting and standing routines.
We will cover very effective and efficient exercises for developing core stability and strength by slightly shifting normal activities during your daily routines. This week you will learn super strategies and suggestions to help you adjust daily habits that are currently reducing your level of fitness and health in order to highlight ones that will greatly improve them.
Fitness That Fits
Most people say one of their biggest obstacles to exercise and being fit is the lack of time. Imagine for a moment what it will be like to learn a dozen great techniques and tips to alter your daily routine into a much healthier one without requiring an additional time commitment. You read that right.
Today you will begin learning more ways to focus on exercise and fitness with “No Extra Time” (NET) involvement on your part.
All you have to do is modify your daily behaviors, routines and thinking to get better benefits in the same amount of time.
Bad Posture Can Lead to Health Issues
Optimal Solutions When Sitting
Sitting is one of the least healthy activities that most people over indulge in. Here is how you will greatly improve your fitness and health by simply altering your sitting behavior. Understanding the importance of proper posture and sitting straight are key first steps.
Find an ergonomically designed chair and work space that properly supports your full body alignment and posture and forgo sitting in a poorly designed chair that causes you to slouch, which contorts your body and spine, For many people changing to a more supportive chair will help relieve much of the stress and tension they feel in their arms, back, hips and neck after sitting with poor posture.
Another simple idea is to stand up every 30 minutes and move your body into a variety of pushing, pulling and stretching positions. You can also stand up when you are talking on the phone which actually improves your thinking and voice patterns. Chair yoga also helps relieve stress and tension.
Instead of sitting on a chair, couch or lounge chair while watching a movie or TV program stand up. By standing for 30, 60 or 90 minutes during a program you shift from couch potato into a more conditioned person so this is a great way to be more fit and healthy with NET.
Another great exercise is called wall sitting and the goal is to sit against a wall without a chair and tighten your back, hip and leg muscles to support you. Even though most people can only hold this position for a very short while it is a great way to help condition your core strength in minimal time.
Even better yet is to find a Swiss exercise ball, Swopper ergonomic stool and ergonomic kneeling chair to replace your lounging and working chairs. By alternately using these chairs you will encourage your body and muscles to constantly adjust to maintain better core muscle strength and posture. Wow! Imagine how great it will feel to burn more calories and fat as you sit on your buttocks and build core muscle strength.
Example of Chair Yoga Exercises
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Optimal Standing Strategies
By focusing on our posture and standing straight, tall and upright we can help improve our muscle and spinal strength and structure which will improve our overall health. This is why standing is another area that requires a closer review. Imagine how much shorter meetings will be when people stand and communicate instead of sit and doze. When you stand it is important to stand with your feet shoulder width apart and parallel to each other. It is also beneficial to notice the position of your arms, back and hands. Be sure to your hands and arms are directly along your side with the thumb close to the seam of pants. Also bend the knees slightly, stand straight and keep your weight centered.
Does standing sound too boring and simple for you?
Did I forget to mention the part about doing various bonus routines such as balancing while you alternate standing on each foot, one and two foot toe rises, having weights in a backpack or your hands while standing?
All this can be done to shift from excess hours as a couch potato sitter into a conditioned power stander. This is a great way to burn excess calories and fat while you enjoy a favorite movie or TV show. Again imagine the extra benefit of No Extra Time needed so you can enjoy the benefit of hours of conditioning time by adjusting your current activities just a bit.
Best Shoe Suggestions
BTW Many people have shoes with poor construction, design and support. They also have poor standing posture which all contributes to poor spinal alignment and physiological problems.
Walking barefoot in addition to wearing properly designed footwear that complements our natural bare foot orientation is important to maintain our alignment, posture and walking stride.
Wearing properly designed footwear prevents our feet from hurting and is a simple step to encourage us to stand and walk more. These will help us keep our bones, cartilage, joints, muscles and tendons fit and flexible. We will also burn more calories standing than sitting. Wearing poorly designed and manufactured shoes cause the feet, legs, hips and back to be out of alignment and experience pain which restricts our commitment and enjoyment for exercise.
Heels and especially high heels on shoes are significant stress factors forcing your feet, legs, back, neck and entire skeletal system to over compensate for being out of alignment. Incorrect foot alignment, improper structural support and loss of foot functionality are key contributors to health issues that start with our feet and extend up to our heads. These issues are responsible for a significant decline in our overall level of happiness, health and longevity.
It is important to focus on fitness by starting with your feet first in order to maintain your running, skiing, standing and walking routines for life.
Now that you have these great ideas to improve your physical routines and increase your overall well being it is time to take action. Decide which steps you can begin first and commit to doing them. Remember to focus on fitness every day and begin with the baby step and simple ideas you feel are easy to include in your daily routines.
Mastery Action Plan
Locate a Chopra Center certified instructor to learn more about chair yoga.
Consciously notice your posture and amount of time you waste sitting when you could be doing something to improve your fitness and health.
It is this simple awareness that you have all the opportunity and time to improve your exercise and fitness routines with minor adjustments. No matter what be sure to keep learning and moving to improve and maintain your health. Our bodies are meant to stay active and strong by maintaining a simple focus on fitness with basic adjustment to your daily sitting, squatting, standing and stepping routines.
Our next blog post will share: Part 10: Focus on Fitness
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