Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital Yoga Trainer Özlem Var gave suggestions on how to increase movement within the daily routine in honour of the ‘’10th of May World Move for Health Day’’.
Özlem Var who stated that we are susceptible to make excuses such as; I don’t usually have time or I am tired, stated that movement does not depend on the circumstances and that adding movement into the daily routine is better than not moving at all. Var stated that even if it might not be possible to do sport every day, certain simple application choices must be changed into habits and these can increase our rate of movement by becoming a part of our daily life.
Yoga instructor Özlem Var gave the following advice to increase the rate of daily movement:
SEPARATE AT LEAST TWO HOURS PER WEEK FOR SPORT
Some people enjoy running in the fresh air, some enjoy doing exercises at a sports centre, some like swimming, some like Yoga which provides mental and spiritual relief and some people enjoy walking. Find the exercise that you enjoy most and try to separate at least two hours a week for this exercise. The two hours that your will separate for sport can either be planned into four sets of half hours or three sets of 45 minutes. If possible, try not to do less than half an hour each time.
Of course you must conduct your health controls and get advice from your doctor on whether or not you are suitable for the sport that you have chosen. Another important point is that you must get specialist advice on the sport that you are attempting. Otherwise if you do not warm up well then this can cause lymph tares, a wrong movement can cause injuries in the bones and joints.
DANCE
If you do not even have two hours for sport, then dance. One of the things that are great for both our body and our spirit is dancing. You do not have to know any specific dance styles to be able to do this. Turn on a lively music that you like and submit yourself to the rhythm. You could do this in your office during a lunch break or can do it at home for a longer period of time. Turn the TV channel to a lively music channel during the commercial breaks and stand up from the seat that you have been sitting in for hours and start to dance. When the commercials are over you can return to watching your program. If you have more time then you can continue to dance until you are sweating and then reward your body with a nice warm shower.
STRETCH TO INCREASE YOUR ENERGY QUICKLY
A 30 minute short stretch can increase the energy and concentration by up to 55%. Those who do desk work must not neglect to stretch their arms, shoulders, back and neck from time to time. To increase the effectiveness of these exercises you can shake your arms and legs and then your whole body, you can liven up your whole muscle and skeletal system by stretching the arms upwards and the legs downwards in opposite directions three times. When stretching up and down take in deep breaths from your nose and when releasing your breath relax your body and all your muscles.
STOP DRIVING TO THE SHOP THAT IS TWO BLOCKS AWAY – WALK
If possible, walk at least 30 minutes every day or at least three times a week at a fast pace, this has many benefits. If you struggle to find time for this, you can walk to the shops, chemist etc., that are not too far from your home. You can adopt habits such as; parking your car a little further from your destination, using the stairs rather than the lift. Spending the weekend walking in the fresh air in the nature will have many spiritual, physical and mental benefits.
YOU CAN WALK AROUND WHILE SPEAKING ON THE PHONE
Especially with a smart phone, our phones have become objects that we constantly carry around. We can at least turn this into a beneficial ordeal. Walking while talking on the phone can bring a lot of movement into our daily routine. This will also help prevent tiredness and drowsiness. Joining both activities together helps store energy by warning the central nervous system.
‘’A LITTLE’’ IS BETTER THAN ‘’NOTHING’’
If you say; ‘’I cannot find time to do sport’’ then you could make your body at least a little happy by incorporating small habitual movements into your days. Rather than remaining seated at your desk all day, standing up and walking for a few minutes an hour, walking a few hundred fast paced steps in the corridor are better than doing nothing. This can help you burn 60 to 130 calories more in your day.
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10Th of May World MOVE for Health Day!
What is your way of exercising?