You heard me. Right now. Wherever you are reading this (okay, NOT if you are in your car – you shouldn’t be doing that anyhow now should you?) just stand up and MOVE something! Stretch your arms. Tilt your head from side to side. Twirl your ankles and wrists. Take a walk down the hall. Get a glass of water. Just move! Then come back and finish reading of course.
Why? Because you need to move frequently throughout your day to stay sharp and focused. Sitting in one place for too long is exhausting. Literally. Sitting constricts the blood flow to some of the largest muscles in your body and that zaps energy. In some offices it’s easy to sit at a desk in the morning and not get up again until lunch. Ugh. It makes me tired just thinking about it! Find reasons to move.
It doesn’t take a lot of activity to boost your mental focus and overall energy level. Just one or two minutes of moving your muscles will be a big help. Add a glass of ice water to the mix for even better results. By 3 or 4PM you may think you need caffeine, but a little movement and a glass of water will do wonders. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, my friends. Now get up and move!
PS – For those of you at home with small children who have been laughing since you read the first line…(“HA! Sit in one place for too long? In my dreams maybe!”) you have a fair point – tuck this away for the day several years from now when you actually have your bottom in a chair for more than four seconds at a time….but still get that glass of water if you can. Drinking it from your child’s sippy cup still counts.