Five Steps to Building a Healthy Coop | STEP FOUR
Get MOOVing!
Seems like a no-brainer. We hear all the time how important it is to exercise, however…
Sometimes it just seems impossible to move. Like right now, sitting at the computer – again – for long hours, working on important business matters, trying to increase the bottom line *-.-*.. ooops, I think I just felt it working! It really is time to work some more movement into the daily routine.
• • • MOVE MORE @ WORK
A recent study I heard on NPR talked about the fact that sitting for long extended periods is worse for our health than we might think – even if we are getting in our regular exercise regime! Finding ways to exercise a little bit throughout the day is very important. Before you read the next paragraph, stand up and reach for the sky – take a moment to breathe in deeply and stretch all the muscle groups you can feel. Doesn’t that feel better? Now, repeat it every hour or two…Don’t worry about the folks in the next cubicle staring at you. They are just jealous of your improved circulation.
Need a little help? If you are sitting at the computer regularly, set an alarm to prompt you to get up every hour or so and do a little something healthy. Take a brisk walk around the building, or do a little yoga refresher…check out this new site my yoga friend just started! Yoga Poses Daily.
• • • MOVE MORE @ SCHOOL
Just think what our kids feel like at school! The pressure to perform academically and “make the grade” seems illogically to push aside time and budgets for physical endeavors. It is not an EITHER/OR situation – they go hand in hand, check out this article on Active Bodies lead to Active Minds.
Can we pause for a MOMENT OF ADVOCACY: Just say YES to more PE/Movement in your schools – if you see it seeping out of the classroom, talk to the Principal or School Board.
Seek out and volunteer to help with programs like Girls on the Run! An EXCELLENT program that is quickly spreading around the country!
girls on the run
• • • MOVE MORE TO AND FROM
WALK or BIKE to and from school. If you can figure out how much extra time it would take to get there under your own steam instead of driving, then you can set your alarm clock ahead that amount of time. Your child’s brain will be better engaged and their body more ready to learn if they’ve had a healthy breakfast (i.e. not full of sugar) and they’ve gotten a little exercise before school.
Two great things to check out are: Walking School Bus and Safe Routes to School. See if you can engage one of these in your neighborhood.
If you live in a community where it is possible to walk to some of the places you need to go (i.e. market, bank, post office) then great! Make a little time to power yourself. If you are contemplating a move for one reason or another then consider a community with a walkability! and bike trails too.
• • • MOVE MORE AS A FAMILY
Walk after dinner, hike on the weekends, b-ball in the driveway, bike ride after school, run/walk a local track while the kids play in the middle… Being seen as a parent who appreciates, enjoys and understands the need for movement will have lasting effects on your kids. By all means cheer them on from the sidelines, but get in there and take part yourself!
MOTHER HEN-ISM
Sometimes as adults, we’ve let things settle a bit much and the thought of re-entering the sporting life is a bit intimidating. By all means get some good shoes and workout gear that you feel comfy wearing, but don’t let the fact that you don’t look like an Olympic athlete shut you down. After all…
