The human body is designed to MOVE. I’m not talking about spending 30 minutes on the treadmill 5 days a week. I’m talking about FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT. We are built for long distance runs to catch our own food and sprint speed to escape becoming dinner for Mufasa, the Lion. Nonetheless, our fast paced tech culture has taken us from a highly evolved bi-pedal posture to this…

Is this called devolving? Is the evolution of our tech society having a negative impact on the health of our body function?

Hunting, gathering, farming, a game of pick-up football with your friends, and even mowing our own lawns have slowly been traded in for an 8-hour day hunched behind a desk, video game battles on the internet, and couch binges of Game of Thrones while texting your friend about who is going to drive to the movies later on. Meanwhile, lower back and neck pain are at an all time high, and studies are coming out that sitting {NOT moving} will soon be responsible for more deaths than smoking.

That’s a scary statistic.

“Sitting is the new smoking.”

Moreover, when I was an undergraduate, I worked in a local pharmacy while taking coursework to apply to pharmacy school. I saw so many people taking multiple prescriptions for their ailments. Hypertension, diabetes, depression, anxiety, were all too common and it seemed like everyone was on a pain medication. Many of these patients were obese, smelled like cigarettes, and washed down their 5 pills with a Coke. It is clear that we want a quick fix to everything. And though a pill might seem like a quick fix, it isn’t helping the root problem: We don’t move enough. MOVING IS THE BETTER FIX. So naturally, I ditched the gig with the pills for the a degree in Exercise Science. I want to show you how moving can improve your life.

Current research is showing that the better way to treat general back pain is exercise. Stretching, walking, core stabilization, mobility are all appropriate ways to rehabilitate an episode of back pain. {I’m not talking about more severe cases or after a significant injury, consult a PT if you are experience debilitating symptoms}. “Active recovery” is a new buzzword you will frequently hear. When your body is sore, don’t just sit around; MOVEment is needed to increase circulation and flush out toxins.

So, my goal is to help you decrease your health risks by increasing the quality of your movement.

“Use it or lose it.”

Give the Tibetan Bridge a try. This is a great exercise to reverse the negative effects of prolonged sitting. Be sure to maintain a neutral spine by engaging your glutes and bracing your core muscles. Perform 10-15 repetitions 3-5x per day. If your job requires a lot of sitting, do a set every hour while at work. The bridge is also a great warm-up exercise before activity:

I understand that with our busy schedules, high output expectations, and ease of accessibility in today’s culture, so many of us forget to move our bodies in their intended function. But below are some simple jumping off points to reincorporate FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT into you life, and get rid of the excuses:

Choose the stairs
Park your car in back of the lot
Take frequent stretch breaks at work
Walk on your lunch break
Stand up during phone calls
Rep out 20 squats and push-ups first thing in the morning {repeat every hour}

AND/OR try this hip stretching routine that you can do anywhere: This is a series of 7 stretches done in the lunge/kneeling position. Hold each for 3-5 seconds and repeat 3-5 repetitions on each side. I like to do a few when walking my dog, and it's a must on the 1st tee-box before a round of golf. Thanks to @tracyshibata for the demonstration

I will re-visit the Move More topic often, and each time give some more tips and motivation on how to “use it or lose it.”

Cheers to us starting this MOVEment together.

-Take Care!!