Building Movement Into Your Day

How to leave the stagnation behind and integrate your movement practice into your day.

If you’re anything like me, you spend way too much time hunched over in front of the computer. Science shows sitting is one of the most dangerous things we do.* When your livelihood depends on sitting at a desk or interfacing through technology, your body takes a beating in the short and long terms. So it’s important to build some movement into your day to counteract this inactivity.

I recently found myself being quite sluggish. It went on for months. My body began to ache, my posture suffered, my mood shifted, and my sleep shallowed. I knew I needed to change this sloth-like behavior. So, I found a way to bring my favorite movement practice, yoga, into my work day.

It took me a little while to find the sweet spot. I experimented with different times of the day. I tried the before-work workout but didn’t like getting up even earlier than I already do, the lunchtime workout seemed to eat up my day, and the after-work workout would leave me too energized to fall asleep easily. I kept playing with the timing until I found what works for me: the mid-morning workout.

I start my day at a reasonable, not-too-early time, get to the office early enough to get a good parking spot, bang out my first round of emails then walk 3 blocks to Bala Yoga for a 60 to 75-minute class. If I feel a little unmotivated, I reward myself with a pastry from Sea Wolf after class (thanks to this habit-forming hack). 

Now, I’m a couple of months into a new workout routine. I’ve found that I’m more focused throughout my day and my body feels better well even into the evening. I’ve gone from moving <1x per week to feeling like 2x per week isn’t enough. So I’m currently playing with other ways to bring movement into my routine to help break up the sitting even more.

If you feel like you need to jumpstart your movement practice, here are some of the tricks that have worked for me:

• Pay for a class ahead of time and treat it like a regular appointment.

• Make a date with a friend and hold each other accountable to show up.

• Give yourself a treat on the other side. You deserve that reward after all!

• Keep it fresh with a variety of workouts and trying someplace new periodically.

Most importantly, experiment and be creative. Finding the routine that works for you, is for you to discover through trial and error. If you need ideas or want help finding classes, coaches, or gear, we’re here to help.

Now get moving!

* Read more about how too much sitting is linked to heart disease, diabetes, and premature death here.