More of the Same or Balance?

August 09, 2017

Have you ever considered what you do each day from a movement and positioning point of view? Are you static or dynamic in your movement? Do you sit or are you on your feet during the day at work or home? For those on your feet, are you walking around, standing still, doing lots of bending and lifting?

Consider:

As our day-to-day life becomes more technologically involved, the Western world is becoming more sedentary with more and more time spent sitting. Research has identified the benefits of standing versus sitting, and similarly the benefits of movement versus static positioning, to our overall health. So do you need to do more moving in your day, should you consider a change in your exercise habits to balance your spinal position better through the day or week?

Action:

• Activity 1: list the physical positions you spend your day/week in, in the order of events. Take into account the time from when you rise to the time you return to bed each day but exclude any exercise.

• Activity 2: list all your exercise during the course of a typical day/week, again listing the activities in order of most to least.

• Activity 3: analyse your exercise activities and write down the position of your body during these activities. For example, are you standing/upright, sitting, lying, bending, etc.

• Activity 4: analyse the results. Are you balancing and countering the positions of your body during your normal daily activities with the positions of your body during your exercise?

There is a lot to be said for the old saying of ‘everything in moderation’ when it comes to movement. The Australian Physiotherapy Association slogan ‘Move Well Stay Well’ is an excellent memory verse for this area of your life. Many of the injuries that we incur happen through an accumulation of moving poorly until finally we hit breaking point and seek help. Can you avoid this by paying more attention to your movement habits?

Thoughts by Scott Ward