SHNACKS!
‘I will start Monday’.
Look we have all said it, and with good intentions, but as we ease into another week/month/year the drive to change can fade away and we end up in the same routine we have always been in. I get it, making changes can be hard, and forming new habits isn’t always easy. Sometimes it can be daunting going from absolutely nothing to running 5km every other day or going to the gym a few times a week. On the flip side, maybe you have a solid routine, but sometimes struggle to find extra space in the day to move.
Well, what if I said SNACKS might be the answer?
Movement Snacks
No, I’m not talking about snacks in the way you might have first thought, I’m talking about movement snacks. This isn’t a new concept, nor did I come up with it. However, it is a good one that can make being a bit more active easier.
Essentially it is what you might think it is, engaging in small bouts of exercise, or movement, throughout your day. The beauty of this approach is there doesn’t have to be any rules, you can do it your way! It can be 30 seconds or a few minutes, it can even be while you’re engaging in another task. How ever you look at it, make it work for you.
Examples
You don’t need to over-complicate the idea, but you might be thinking ‘what are some examples?’. Get as creative as you like with the concept, but here’s a few ideas.
Standing up from the desk or lounge? why not rep out 10 squats instead of just standing straight up.
Waiting for the kettle to boil or the printer to finish? Do some heel raises while you’re standing there or stand on one foot and work on your balance.
Got the option of stairs or lift? Take the stairs, better yet if you have that extra couple of minutes go up and down a few times and get a couple more steps in.
Maybe you’re just taking a quick 5-minute break from what you were doing at the desk, do some star jumps or push ups.
Even if you’re just chilling watching some Netflix on the lounge, why not do some hips lifts/bridges/hip thrusts while you’re lying there, even if it’s between episodes of that new series you’re watching.
The options are endless, and you can scale it to fit your day. Any way that you approach it, those little moments can add up.
SUMMARY
Strip away the pressure of thinking you must do a full 20-30 minutes of movement all the time and try some movement snacks! Over time you might even find that these little moments become a habit and you end up adding more episodes of it in your day, or even end up finding space to do them for a little longer.