Fitness Friday: Keep it Moving!

Think about all the movements you do every day: walking, climbing stairs, typing, turning doorknobs and lifting. Your bones, muscles, and joints all work together to make your body an amazingly movable machine. Like any machine, your body can suffer some wear and tear. It needs regular care and maintenance to keep moving with ease. Maintaining movement is very important for anyone who wants to stay flexible and mobile.

Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that require energy expenditure. Physical inactivity (lack of physical activity) has been identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality (6% of deaths globally). Moreover, physical inactivity is estimated to be the main cause for approximately 21–25% of breast and colon cancers, 27% of diabetes and approximately 30% of ischaemic heart disease burden.

Humans must maintain a core set of necessary life functions to survive. This includes maintaining movement. The muscular system propels our bodies and allows us to move from one place to another while our skeletal system provides the bony framework our muscles need to pull on as they work to produce movement. Without these features, humans wouldn’t be able to perform necessary life functions to survive. Regardless of age or health condition, everybody needs to move. Our bodies were made to MOVE!! Move better, move often, move comfortably, and maintain movement.

Remember one step forward is one step closer for your goal, for the finish line of your race, for your health. It doesn’t mean you have to leap every step forward, climb one floor at a time. Head up the first flight of stairs and then enjoy the landing. Maintain those changes and movement and then propel forward to the next flight.  Exercising 5+ days a week can be overwhelming to begin with, therefore starting 2 days a week may be more reasonable. Although 5+ days are recommended, starting at 2 gets you moving. Once you have mastered 2 days, another day can be added, climbing the next flight of stairs. Remember it’s about maintaining movement all throughout your day. Maintain and sustain.