
Humans were made to move; notice how I didn't say exercise. For too long, the idea of exercise has conjured images of hamsters on wheels, expending so much energy just to stay in place. When we view movement solely through the lens of exercise, we exclude those like me who cringe at the thought of treadmill runs. While we are all aware of the benefits of exercise ,many of us avoid exercise because the motivation to do it is rooted in the guilt and shame of being overweight or unhealthy. Yet, exercise is just one narrow category of the broader spectrum of movement available to us.
Exercise typically refers to structured or planned movement that is done in a formal setting like gyms or studios. Movement, however, is a way of life –it is the physical rhythms your body makes as you move around your home, your workplace, and your neighborhood. This distinction is so important because it shapes our relationship to physical activity. The commercialized image of exercise– branded gear, gym equipment– often play on our insecurities, undermining the joy of simply being in our bodies.
Movement is so much more than just going to the gym and checking it off the to-do list; it’s a lifestyle, an orientation to the world rich with possibilities. It removes the barriers from physically engaging with our environment. It's sad to see the number of people who let go of movement after a certain age. As children, it was normal to jump, skip, or hop wherever we went. It was natural for us to find joy in movement. Now those behaviors are out of place in any context that is not the gym. We reminisce about the time when our bodies were young and able without realizing that movement is still with us and will always be with us. It may look differently at different times in our lives, but we still need to move.
Our muscles, bones, and flesh were made for pulling, lifting, squatting, jumping, and climbing — Activities not confined to gym walls . While yes, you can do the activities in the gym, you don't necessarily need to. Movement can look like bending down to pluck fresh herbs from your garden. It can look like sightseeing in cities around your area. It can also look like play; simply enjoying a game of tag with your children in the front yard is enough.
Humans need to move; the several hinges, joints, and levers in our body weren’t made for sitting at our desk for 8 hours a day and then coming home to binge-watch our favorite TV shows on the couch. It is no surprise that one of the biggest risks to our health is a sedentary lifestyle. According to WHO, 60–85% of people worldwide lead lives that involve a lot of sitting or lying down with very little physical activity. This is a far cry from the suggested bare minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
Our bodies work better in motion. When we are upright, our heart and cardiovascular system are able to work more effectively. Our bowel and digestive systems are also able to digest sugar and fat efficiently. Our minds work better with movement as well. Studies have shown the benefits of exercise for mental health. Movement can improve clarity and mood, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. This helps guard us from the diseases that are so prevalent now, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes.
If you are looking to start being more active, the best way to do it is to find some form of movement you enjoy and stick to it. This can help you reap the benefits of exercise without the burden of doing something that you don't like. I can't stress enough that if you don’t like going to the gym already, you definitely aren't going to like going to the gym when you're hungry and tired after work. Becoming more healthy and active in your life does not have to mean being miserable. There is a joy in movement. Remember that it is okay to start small. Those small changes will build on one another over time, eventually creating healthier habits.
Movement is not just going to the gym; it's taking a walk around your neighborhood, stretching in the morning, doing housework—it can even be as simple as breathing. Our bodies are meant to move, and when they don't, we lose the part of us that makes us human.
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