Build movement into your daily life!
Written by Savannah Wishart - Savannah is a CFL1 certified coach leading several of our group strength & conditioning classes here at Trailhead Athletics. She is a wonderful photographer and creative writer, having contributed for Paleo Magazine. Savannah also provides life coaching to clients who find success with a non-traditional approach to physical and mental health, which includes but is not limited to exercise and nutrition. You can find her at The Primal Revolution.
If you pay any attention to the health and wellness spheres, you’ll have heard the trending idea that sitting is the new smoking. Most of us live busy lives, striving to be it all and do it all - for ourselves, our families, our friends, our careers.
There is never enough time in a day. If only we had another hour, we could fit in that workout that we just can’t get to today.
We are so often our own worst critic, and part of that looks like setting standards that we can’t always meet. In the ideal world, we would fit our workout in every day - right? But life happens, or other priorities take up space.
It’s easy to get attached to that ideal world, but with just a small shift of perspective, we can reorient our movement goals and empower ourselves with small “spot drills” of movement throughout the day.
We may not have time for 30, 45, or 60 minutes of intense training; but you can probably find (or create) 5 minute pockets of time to stretch, pick up something heavy, or breathe.
Going to the gym is the easy part. Building the habits when you’re at home to break up the monotony of the day-to-day routines takes a whole new level of responsibility.
The first step to reorienting that goal is to step out of automatic habits, and infuse our conscious actions with purposeful intention. The second step is to be curious about what we usually do (or don’t do), and why.
Strategies for Habit Change
We’re going to dive into some creative ways to add movement into your day - whether at work, home, or with your family. But first, we’ll look at strategies that lead to success. The “what” is certainly important, but the “how” is what leads to sustainable habits that can last a lifetime.
Stack your habits. We only have a certain amount of willpower in a given day. The more effort that’s required to change our behavior, the more likely we are to fail. Overtime, we tone the muscle of self-discipline - like any physical muscle - and change becomes easier. By stacking our habits, we minimize effort, and over time the habit becomes second nature.
Habit stacking looks like adding an action to something that is already hardwired into your routine. This might look like merging two things into one: like calf raises while brushing your teeth; or stacking one thing after the other: like taking a walk after your first glass of water in the morning.
Recruit an accountability buddy. As ironic as it is, we are often the ones with whom it’s hardest to keep our word. Telling someone what your goal is will help stay on track, especially if you have an agreement to check-in daily with each other.
Set an alarm or timer on your phone.
Aim for consistency, not volume. Set a time and a place to kickstart your habit.
Make an agreement with yourself that every day, this is a non-negotiable thing to do. We lose an incredible amount of energy and willpower thinking about if we should or shouldn’t do something.
Having a non-negotiable agreement in place with yourself reserves your energy and willpower for more pressing matters, and everytime you tick the box of that habit, you build a stronger foundation of trust with yourself.
Set yourself up for success. “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Articulate the movement habit that you want to start with yourself, and turn it into a S.M.A.R.T. goal. Make it specific, measurable, achievable, and time-bound.
Be flexible. Life happens outside of our control, and sometimes we fall off track. If that happens (and it will), stay focused on moving forward and taking control of what you can: your actions. Visualize the Future Self you are aiming to become, one day at a time.
Reward yourself! Rather than focusing on a large goal looming in the future, focus on the daily steps you are taking to get there. Breaking a bigger goal into micro goals will give your brain consistent hits of dopamine, powering your willpower to keep going. In the case of daily movement, keep your focus on today.
That reward might be as simple as positive self-talk to cheer yourself on, or enjoying your cup of coffee after our morning walk.
Creative Ways to Add Movement to Your Day
Schedule active rest days between your workouts. Sure, part of us (the performer, achiever, perfectionist) may want to train hard and intensely every day, but the truth is that we also need rest days.
That doesn’t mean collapsing and becoming one with the couch; but rather, taking time to stretch, swim, or take a walk.
Stir a bit of movement into your morning coffee routine. That might look like walking or biking to get your daily dose of caffeine. Or, if you brew coffee at home, make the time you’re waiting for movement. Add in some stretching while you wait, or do a few squats.
Ride your bike or run to Trailhead. The sun is coming out with more consistency. If you’re short on time and feel like you don’t have enough time to warm up before our workout, add some extra cardio into your commute.
Incorporate calf raises whenever you’re standing still. A great time is when you’re brushing your teeth or waiting in line at the store.
Do kegel exercises when you’re stuck sitting for too long. Kegel exercises are often talked about for women postpartum, but are vital for the pelvic health of men and women - with childbirth or without.
Tighten and hold your pelvic floor muscles for five seconds, rest, and repeat. As with anything, it's better to start small and build consistency over time - eventually aiming to do 10-20 "reps" three to four times a day.
Squat or deadlift to pick things up. At Trailhead Athletics, we practice functional movements so that we can take those movements out of the gym and into our daily lives.
The last place we want you to pull a muscle is when you bend over to pick something up. Brace your core, bend your knees, and practice the movements you’ve been honing in your workouts.
Foam roll. Give yourself a little mini spa session to loosen things up. Not only are you getting a microdose of movement in, you’re treating yourself to a self-led massage. Feel free to mix it up, rolling out your feet or glutes with a tennis ball. Your posterior will thank you!
Mix up your workspace. Try a standing desk, replace your chair with a stability ball, or test out an under-desk elliptical. The latter is especially beneficial if you’re working remotely and spend your day in zoom meetings.
Dance while you cook. Incorporating movement doesn’t always have to mean counting reps and willing yourself into self-discipline - it can be fun! Crank up your favorite music and turn your cooking session into a dance party. Invite the whole family.
Create a “commute” working from home. With remote work, it’s easy to wake up and roll straight into work - neglecting a morning routine to care for ourselves first. Use your imagination to create a “commute” within your neighborhood that you have to walk, run, or bike to pretend to get to work.
This is a fun one, not only to kickstart your day with movement, but also to nurture the playfulness of your childlike imagination.
Turn your social time into workout time. We live in a society in which the norm is for social time to revolve around late nights and alcohol. If you find yourself stuck in that loop and wanting to make the shift to prioritize your sleep hygiene, health, and fitness - try inviting friends to your workout at Trailhead Athletics or on a weekend hike.
Our monthly Bring a Friend Week is a great time to pop in, and otherwise, the first class is always free.
Get creative about lifting heavy things at home. You don’t have to buy a garage gym set-up to lift at home. Use large rocks, gallon jugs of water, books, or bags of canned goods.
Adding more intentional movement into your day doesn’t have to be complicated, and it doesn’t have to consume a lot of time. Give these a try the next time your schedule is too full to get a full workout in, you’re stuck at home, or traveling on the road.
What are your favorite ways to mix up your day when it’s feeling sedentary? We would love to know!
And as always, if you’re new to Trailhead and live in Bellingham, pop in for a free class! We’re located at 909 Squalicum Way, between the Columbia and Birchwood neighborhoods.