Tip of the Week: Sit. Stand. Move.
As physical therapists, we are movement specialists-- we love movement. And for excellent reasons. Regular movement helps us with all aspects of our health-- from our cardiovascular function, to inflammation, to bowel health, to musculoskeletal health. For many people, however, getting regular movement can be challenging! They may be working jobs that require long periods of sitting. Perhaps they're taking care of children and exhausted by the end of the day. Or perhaps, they deal with persistent pain difficulties and worry that movement may worsen their symptoms.
Life can get in the way--but regular movement can be key for your pelvic health! Movement helps improve the motility of the bowels leading to more regular bowel movements. It helps us improve our pelvic floor function since those muscles are active when we move. It can help modulate pain levels, improve our nervous system and support our mental health. So, today, I encourage you to evaluate your day, and explore strategies for getting in a little more movement. Try out these tips below to help!
5 Tips for Increasing Daily Movement:
1. Stand up: If you have to sit a lot during the day, set reminders to stand up, stretch, take a short lap around your office or your house.
2. Less is more: Don't worry about time constraints to movement. If you have 10 minutes before you need to leave to get your kids, go walk for 10 minutes. If you have 5 minutes before a meeting, do some gentle body weight movements (squats, balance exercises, etc) during the time you have. Remember, youtube has so many growing resources! You can easily find quick yoga routines, exercises, and more to fill the time you have!
3. Park further away from the door: If you need to go shopping, or park daily for work, or head to a restaurant, park a little further back in the lot. This simple practice gives you just a few minutes of extra movement.
4. Move in the way you love: Just because someone else loves running or weights, doesn't mean you do. The best exercise is the one you ENJOY! Explore options-- try hiking, swimming, dancing, climbing, tai-chi, chair-yoga, and more-- find out what brings you joy!
5. Give grace, and move on: If you have a hard day and don't move the way you want to-- that's ok! The best thing you can do is accept the hard day for what it was, then make a plan for the next day to be different!
Are you dealing with pelvic health challenges that make implementing movement difficult? We got you-- reach out and we're happy to help you build the program that works best for you!
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Weekly Tips Pelvic Health Tips By Dr. Jessica Reale PT, DPT, WCS