Recognise this scenario? You know you should be moving your body more, but your business baby is taking all the time and energy you have available to give. Our Director of Community - Emma Sinclair, has a degree in Human Nutrition and Exercise Physiology up her sleeve, and as an experienced entrepreneur, she recognises the pitfalls of modern working. Read on to find some practical tips and tricks for overcoming hurdles and getting your body moving.
The fact of the matter is, movement and physical activity helps us focus our minds, moderate exercise can help us fight inflammation and keep our immunity primed; as well as help our mental health and productivity. It has been said many times that if physical activity could be prescribed in pill form, it would be the most effective medicine to combat many of our welfare diseases, yet so many of us are not meeting the mark when it comes to moving our bodies. Building habits is hard, but it’s by no means impossible so read on for some practical tips.
Now to the million dollar question… What is the best kind of exercise? Is it HIIT, yoga or crossfit? They all seem to have strong voices advocating for them, so which one should we choose for optimal wellbeing and best bang for our time investment “buck”? Simply put, the best form of exercise for you is the activity you enjoy the most, that you’re likely to repeat regularly and for long time periods; something that will serve as a welcome respite and offer a stress release. So there you have it, now all you need to do is experiment and play, until you find the form of exercise that lights you up, as it were…
Although we know that exercise can do wonders for our mental health, energy levels and productivity, it can sometimes be hard to fit it in - which is totally counterproductive, right! When it comes to building habits, little by little is the best way, and you don't need to go to extreme lengths to include meaningful doses of activity into your day.
My top tips ...
Take the meeting on the road
Schedule meetings with your team or clients to be a walky-talky. Unless you need to be taking vigorous notes, why not incorporate some movement? At Impact Hub, some of our team members now couple our weekly stand-up meeting with a walk, and it’s a great way to start the Monday.
Stand up and be counted
Ever heard the term “sitting is the new smoking”? Although that’s a gross oversimplification and not entirely a hard truth in my view, there is some merit in doing some work standing up. There are a couple of options here; either invest in a nice height adjustable desk, or create a DIY standing desk at your regular desk (or the kitchen bench if you’re working from home).
Pockets of movement
Does physical activity only count if it’s in 45-60 minute blocks while wearing lycra? Well, no - the cells in your body don’t mind what you're wearing, and they are more concerned about getting some metabolic shifts over the course of the day. A 10 minute brisk walk at your lunch break, coupled with some chair yoga after work, followed by vigorous playing with the kids in the garden after work - it all counts, and your body will thank you for it.
Buddy up
Everything is more fun when you do it with a mate, whether it’s someone from work or a friend. Plus, the accountability of having plans to exercise together means that we are more likely to complete the task. For some reason, we don’t mind letting ourselves down, but cancelling plans with someone else is another matter altogether. We might as well use this social pressure to our advantage right?
Final thoughts
Exercise is an incredible catalyst for success - and just a little bit of effort can produce some incredible returns for you, and your business.
If you’re looking for a sign to get started, this is it! Why not commit some time today - even if it’s just 5 minutes - to inject some movement into your routine? Be sure to let us know how you get on.
Images belong to Emma's Farm to Fork. Photographer Lara Connors.
