Not all of us are good at managing our time well and are doing our best to juggle working from home, maintaining a sense of normality, home schooling kids, partners also working from home and no escape. Against this backdrop of competing demands on our resources and time managing us, we may miss the online workout or just not feel the inclination. We may have more time on our hands but it doesn’t always seem that way and motivation is an unreliable human resource.
You may be a key worker looking after others but finding it difficult to find time for a workout or are too exhausted, this simple set of resets in bite size chunks will help you get some much needed movement and me time.
This may also be very useful to share with your isolated relatives who are not able to get out much and may not be up to the Joe Wicks style routine.
Movement is so important for our physical and mental health and now that we are stuck at home this applies more than ever.
Here is a simple Original Strength Reset routine that takes 10 minutes and will help you move towards health and strength. It is also a good structure for those of us who are chair bound in our day jobs. This simple reset can be done at work or at home and can be divided up into 5 two minute movement snacks. These easy to follow developmental movement patterns stimulate, sharpen and hardwire your reflexes whilst giving your body and brain some much needed movement nourishment. Think of these resets as rebooting your operating systems.
Hour 1 – Practice Diaphragmatic breathing for 2 minutes. You can do this anywhere, just breathe through your nose and into your belly. This relaxing stress busting activity is undervalued, overlooked and the most critical human reflex. Place your tongue behind the upper row of front teeth to help you nasal breathe.
Hour 2 – Practice 2 minutes of head nods. One minute up and down and 1 minute side to side. This will activate your vestibular system which is the foundation of all other sensory systems. It is also the antidote to sitting with a forward stooped head position. You could also practice your diaphragmatic breathing at the same time, this will really make you concentrate and be present.
Hour 3 – Roll for two minutes. Rolling is a great way to develop rotational strength and stability which is key for spine health. It is even a great way to asses how well connected your body is. Rolling also stimulates the vestibular system and feeds the brain information via the neural pathways about your environment.
Hour 4 – Rocking for two minutes may help soothe your mind and help you concentrate better. Rocking makes you move as one, the joints of the feet, ankles, knees, hips, spine, shoulders and wrists move in unison and integrate with the brain.
Hour 5 – Cross-crawls for two minutes. Crawling is the locomotive culmination of all the other movements. When we crawl, walk or run, our opposite limbs move in coordination, tied together by the brain. Cross Crawls help to develop the ability to express movement and strength potential.
Across the day these movement snacks will accumulate 10 minutes of nourishing neural connections. Done every day, you’ll have accumulated 50 minutes in a week. This is simple, achievable, structured, will make your day better, and probably improve your productivity. Try to combine this with 20 minutes outside for a dose of vitamin D and eat 4 to 5 fist size portions of vegetables each day.
Have a great week stay positive and pass this on to someone you think it may help.
reference:
Pressing Reset 2018, Anderson & Neupert
Functional Movement Systems
www.base-gym.co.uk
@basemethoduk
