Do the Opposite for Better Health

A friend of mine described his morning ritual to me recently.

Each morning, I’m jolted out of bed by my alarm clock. I have just enough time to shower, get my work clothes on and get out the door to pick up some coffee and a breakfast sandwich at a nearby drive-through.  I sit through traffic on my commute, and think about my day ahead. When I arrive at the office, I have a full day of meetings planned. At lunch, I’ll have just enough time to grab a quick bite at the cafeteria, but the majority of my day is spent seated in my office and in a few meeting rooms.

In other words, he was getting out of bed preparing himself for a full day or sitting. And after work, he was mentally exhausted and typically headed for the sofa, or the computer (to catch up on social media).

That’s the ritual for a LOT of people. Not just office workers, but people from all walks of life.

They spend most of the day seated.

 

Habits can Improve Your Fitness

 

While I’m no longer in the corporate world (I left office life back in 2009), I still get caught in the same “sitting” trap. Since physical inactivity is linked to so many health problems, I have to adjust my daily habits in an effort to avoid the fate of so many “professional sitters”.

How do you set your daily ritual?

DO THE OPPOSITE.

Look at the people around you. Are they tired, overweight and feeling out of shape?

Do the opposite of what they do. 

Do they grab a fast-food option for breakfast? Pack 2 boiled eggs and a few spears of broccoli the night before.

Do they go from bed, to the car, to their office chair? Take 5-10 minutes in the morning to work on some joint mobility.

Do they take the elevator? Take the stairs.

Do they buy lunch at work? Pack your own.

Do they overeat? Under-eat.

Do they spend their lunchtime seated at their desk? Get outside for a walk.

Do they stay up working on the computer late into the night? Turn it off and go to bed.

 

Do the Opposite

 

The body is excellent at adaptation. If we spend all our time seated, our body will adapt to that pattern. Our balance, coordination and fitness levels suffer, our joints start to ache, and we get old prematurely.

This week:

Think about what the masses do.

And do the opposite…

 

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October 29, 2014 No Comments
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