Your body AND your brain need movement to remain vibrant, healthy, and functioning at peak capability. And that is what we all want, right, no matter our age? I think we’re all already sold on the fact that our bodies benefit hugely from an active lifestyle that includes movement. We already get it that sedentary lifestyle = bad, bad, bad for our physical health. What’s also true is that less sedentary time, combined with more time simply moving = better learning and memory capabilities. And, here’s the biggie – there’s emerging evidence that being a mover versus a habitual sitter recudes your risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease. Hard to ignore that one, right?
The good news is, you don’t have to go nuts at the gym six days a week to benefit your brain health. In fact, non-exercise movment (simply walking, going up and down the stairs versus escalator; gardening, housecleaning, etc.) plays a significant role in preserving brain health. The name of the game is to interrupt your sitting time, even if it’s just standing up for one minute every twenty minutes that you’re sitting. While a big, sweaty, intense workout at the gym is great for a lot of reasons, if you’re sitting for the remainder of the day, your workout isn’t going to cancel out completely the risks associated with all of that sedentary time.
So, no need to overthink it. Just stand up when you think of it, take the stairs instead of the elevator when you can, park at the back of the lot and not in the front row, etc. Keep your joints and muscles mobile by sitting on the floor versus a chair once in a while. Get down there into a deep squat when you need to tie your shoes. If it’s only a couple of bags, carry your groceries out of the store instead of in the cart. All of these little, seemingly effortless actions add up to level of mobility and cognitive health that serves your life rather than restricts it.
That’s what I love about all of this real food/movement/sleep/stress relief stuff. They are the tools to #poweryourlife!
Want to learn more about the critical importance of movement and brain health? Check out https://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2016/02/26/sedentary-lifestyle-brain-shrinkage.aspx.