Immobility is a silent killer and one of the most damaging lifestyle choices we can make. Being sedentary slows down circulation, causing the arteries to start collecting deposits. Our lymphatic system doesn’t get flushed out and our cells become less sensitive to insulin. We get dull, inside and out. Lack of movement causes our muscles to atrophy, telling our cells to start dying off because they aren’t needed. You get the picture. It seems innocent, but it’s far from it.
A sedentary lifestyle us as dangerous as a car crash or a major accident. That may seem like an exaggeration, but take a look at some of the conditions linked to it:
- Arthritis
- Autoimmunity
- Depression
- Early-onset dementia
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Sleep disorders
- Type 2 diabetes
The definition of a sedentary life may surprise you. Being ‘sedentary’ is defined as sitting for longer than six hours a day – a length of time required by most jobs five days a week. Many of us who sit at a desk all day mistakenly believe a morning or evening workout inoculates us against the effects. Unfortunately, that isn’t so. What can help a great deal is hopping out of your chair for a quick walk every hour. A simple trick to make this happen naturally is to drink lots of water!
In today’s working world, there is no way to avoid being sedentary. The chores of our grandmothers like gardening, hanging laundry, and washing windows are not outsourced or done by machines. We’re no longer moving as our bodies were designed.
Move For Life
We are only as old as our muscles are inactive. Doing nothing seems harmless, but we have to remind ourselves that the body was made to move. It’s what keeps the engines of every one our trillion cells alive! Thankfully, the body is very forgiving. After years, even decades, of neglect it will reward our efforts toward healthy living.
The definition of a healthy body is a just-right balance between strength and flexibility. To make movement easy and effortless, muscles must be as strong as they are flexible. They dynamic stretching found in Essentrics reaches into parts of the body not targeted by everyday movement, or even most exercise programs. It mindfully and systematically engages all 650 muscles and moves all 360 of our joints.
Remember, nature is magnificent at conservation. When we stop moving, we’re sending the signal to start killing off cells. Whereas the minute we start moving, the body receives the message that it’s time to thrive! Let’s get going on a creating a thriving, vital life by moving our body all day, throughout the day.
