You’ve probably already heard the warnings against sitting too much. Studies on the impacts of sitting have linked lots of sitting to scary health risks like cancer, metabolic issues, heart disease, and early death. If you’re a therapist, you might cringe when you read that – because most likely, you do a whole lot of sitting. It just comes with the territory of being a therapist.
The good news is there is evidence that daily moderate exercise can counteract the detrimental effects of sitting. Beyond the physical benefits of movement, let’s not forget the mental health benefits as well. As a therapist, you likely remind your clients of the importance of exercise quite often.
You put a lot of effort into helping your clients improve their self-care. In case you need it, this is your reminder to take care of yourself, too.
Here are 3 tips for incorporating more movement into your days:
1. If working from home, incorporate a “fake commute”
What are you doing with the time saved from skipping a twice-daily commute to your office? Instead of letting this time be overtaken with other tasks or more leisure time, try protecting this time for movement. We’re more likely to follow through on a goal when it’s scheduled. We wrote a blog post all about the health benefits of a fake commute: check it out.
2. Incorporate quick bursts of movement into breaks
Only have a few minutes between clients? Try running up and down a flight of stairs, or sneak in a few jumping jacks or push-ups.
A recent study found that frequent short bursts of movement throughout the day can counteract the detrimental health effects of sitting for hours.
3. Find a way to move that you enjoy
Exercising doesn’t have to look like going to a gym several times a week. There are so many great ways to move your body, and you’re more likely to keep up a consistent movement practice when you find something you look forward to doing.
