Movement Week 1

“Walking is man’s best medicine “

 In 400 BC, Hippocrates

March will focus on movement, and movement is the word of choice instead of exercise. Exercise can cause some people to shudder. Just the idea of going to a gym produces fear, possibly of doing it wrong, being out of shape, others passing judgement. The word movement is more open and encompasses every activity. One 80-year-old I know claims to never “exercise”. Yet he is the person out there cutting his lawn, trimming bushes and trees, painting, throwing a ball to his dogs and crawling around fixing everything in a home that could possibly go wrong. Is he moving? Constantly. He is walking—not tracking his steps, but simply handling his chores—as Hippocrates described, is the best medicine for humans.  He is stretching, and carrying weighted objects, over the course of his day. Are there areas he could work specifically on, of course, core strength, more flexibility, and targeted heart rate. Researchers conducted a study in which maids were told to view cleaning tasks—like stretching while making beds or lifting objects—and vacuuming as exercise. This group lost weight, the mind-body connection of visualizing themselves as performing workouts. 

This week pay attention to the movement you do in your home, at your office or place of employment. Reframe all of it as a workout! You may find yourself looking for more tasks to complete that seemed burdensome last week.