You can be fit AND sedentary

Did you know that you can exercise everyday and still be sedentary?

I have clients who came to me for back pain even though they go to the gym pretty much every day. They understand that movement is good, so they think that if they move every day, they should be covered. Unfortunately, that's not how the body keeps the score.

If you sit all day, you are sedentary, even if you go for a daily run.

What wears your back down is not a lack of exercise, it's uninterrupted sitting. Eight hours in a chair are not cancelled out by an hour of running afterwards, because the two things act on different systems.

You can be genuinely fit and genuinely sedentary at the same time.

I know how annoying that sounds. And of course, exercising regularly helps and I'm not at all suggesting that it's pointless and you should stop.

I just want you to know that if you start having back or hip issues, it might mean that your body needs something else - namely, regular movement during the day.

This is where my philosophy "a little, often" comes into play.

Stand up, roll your head and shoulders, twist in your chair, walk to the window, take three slow breaths. And do it every hour.

And because I know what you are going to say: no, breaking your focus is not lost time. Studies suggest that we can concentrate for a maximum of 90 minutes straight, with an optimal time between 25 and 50 minutes. After that, we need to recover if we don't want to become less productive and/or finish the day completely drained.

These micro breaks are what is going to keep you sharp instead of leaving you with just enough energy left to scroll.

As always, it's a question of dosage. Nobody with a desk job can have the optimal amount of movement in their day. But I also believe that back pain can be avoided.

When you understand what your body needs, and you have the tools to do it properly, you feel better in your own skin and you show up better for what truly matters.

A little, often.

Much love,

Clem

Yoga with Clem

La Madeleine, France

For more info, resources and ways to work with me, please have a look at my website.