if you are 'trying' to find time to move, workout, meditate, or whatever it is you know you must do but do not get around to, you are probably trying too hard. Maybe it's time to take a pause and use our natural extremely under-appreciated ability to multi-task. Wait. wait - don't jump to preconceived notions that 'multi-tasking doesn't work' ... What we are talking about is developing our ability to integrate 'movement' into our daily lives without creating additional dedicated time. Here are some simple ways to just that, i have a hunch once you integrate one or more of these in your routines , you will continue to find dozens more
1. Tea time with family / friends - instead of sitting on a chair, see if you can find a way to have your hips lower than your knees. You can do this by sitting on a very low stool, cushion or even better on bare floor.
Why? If you haven't heard - Sitting is the new smoking. We spend 99.99% of our days never folding our bodies. There are so many resulting health issues because of this like - Bad Gut health, Muscle weakness in lower limbs, Back stiffness, Ham tightness and more
How long? whether it's 2 minutes or 20, just do it. and start with 15 seconds if that's what it takes and build up ..
2. Virtual / Online meetings / calls - find a bench, stool, chair without arms - anything that allows you to sit cross-legged while in the meeting. Even better if you set your work station low enough that you are forced to sit down on ground and/or on a low cushion / stool.
Why? building upon the Why above, meetings sometime can last 1, 2 hours or even more. How many people get an opportunity to sit in their favorite, desired asana for that long during a week? This is a perfect opportunity to do just that
How long? again, however small you start, .. just get going ...
3. Wait times - waiting outside your kids music classes, school, soccer game, while you family shops and your brain is fried checking phone for new messages ? .
Squat. Just sit down in full squat , we are killing ourselves sitting in chairs but we don't look at anyone sitting as someone making a weird move ... no reason to be embarrassed about squatting given it's one of the most primordial ways to conduct most stationary activities which have been un-intentionally eliminated from our modern lifestyles
Hang. If you are near a park and there are any bars - Hang. Any overhead movements just like squatting are now eliminated from our lifestyles, this has serious consequences on upper body strength, structure and integrity
Why? Hanging like squatting is a very primitive but essential movement. it helps mobilize and strengthen upper body joints, muscles and more ..
How long? start with a few seconds and build it up..
4. Meals . just like tea time, find a way to sit cross legged even if you are on a chair (preferably armless so you can spread out)
5. Watching TV. Now this one's interesting. The 'normal' watching time takes sitting to new heights, we not only sit , we slouch with spine in very odd positions and vertebrae compressed for hours some times
find a way to at least sit cross legged or in sukhasana, padmasana, vajrasana or any other asana of your choice. remember if the surface, sofa etc. you are sitting on does not lend itself to sitting in the posture that supports your spine, skip sitting on it; sit down on the floor. if needed of course use a cushion etc. If 2 hours of comfort creates a lifetime of spinal injury which controls the entire bodies functions and health - choice shouldn't be that hard
Why? reasons are really the same but the point of highlighting all these opportunities as distinct one's is to inform our brains that we actually do have options when it comes to integrating better movement and postures even when we are relaxing in the comforts of modern life.
If you are still reading, you probably get the point - that it's not about having more hours in the day, it's about finding creative ways to integrate what we must do in the hours we have. There are always excuses which your minds will come up with like -
- i just want to enjoy a cup of tea/coffee/meal/TV the way i want it
- it's ok when i am at home, what do i do when i am meeting people in person? it will be weird to squat
- where i am, it will be weird to be squatting, hanging and everyone watching me do it .. .i will do in the privacy or my home, gym etc.
Current 'normal' is not working and this is one of the first generations in last few centuries which is forecasted to have a shorter and sicker life than its parents generation. Comforts are good so long as they are not detrimental fatal conveniences. If you don't find a tribe that supports the way you know promotes life and well-being create one - no need to wait for everyone around to sign up as movement buddies, just start doing what you know makes sense .. and do it right away so you are around and in good health to actually use and give the money and other material things you are investing so much of life into ...
stay blessed / cheers