The Vampire effect: Is Your lifestyle draining your movement?
We all know that vampires are famous for sucking the life out of things… But could your everyday routine be quietly sucking the movement out of your day?
As the evenings get darker and the weather gets cooler, it's easy to become less active without even realising it. The commute, a day at the desk, scrolling on your phone and settling down on the sofa can quickly turn into hours of very little movement.
And while one quiet evening isn't going to cause a problem, repeating the same routine day after day can leave your body feeling stiff, sluggish and less mobile.
The desk-time drain: Do you spend most of your working day sitting? Whether you're in an office or working from home, it's easy to get absorbed in emails, meetings and deadlines and suddenly realise you've barely moved for hours.
Your body generally prefers movement and variety, rather than staying in one position for long periods.
The screen-time drain: The day doesn't necessarily get more active when work finishes. Phones, tablets, gaming and television can all encourage us to spend even more time sitting, often with our heads tilted down or our bodies curled into the same comfortable position. Sound familiar? Rather than trying toeliminate screen time completely, think about breaking it up.
Stand up and move around, change your position, get up and make a drink. Your spine doesn't care whether you're watching Netflix or answering emails, it still likes to move!
The darkness drain: When the clocks change and the evenings become darker, getting outside can suddenly feel much less appealing. It's tempting to go straight home, put on your pyjamas and hibernate until spring! But regular movement doesn't have to mean going for a long run or spending an hour at the gym. A short walk, some gentle mobility exercises, playing with the kids, doing some gardening or simply getting up and moving around the house all count towards keeping your body active.
The “I'll start again in January” drain: And then there's the biggest one…“I'll get back into it in January.” It's easy to fall into the mindset that we'll restart our healthy habits after Christmas. But there are still plenty of weeks between Halloween and January where your body can benefit from staying active. You don't need to be perfect, you just need to keep moving.
Don't let your movement disappear!
The good news is that you don't need to completely transform your lifestyle to make a difference. Start by looking at your normal day and asking yourself: “Where is movement disappearing?”
Maybe it's the long commute, maybe it's sitting at your desk or maybe it's the evening spent on the sofa. Once you spot your movement “vampires”, you can start finding simple ways to beat them.
Best Wishes
Phil and Rosie – Clinic Directors
The Spinal Heath Clinics