Get Moving This Month!
As spring begins, it is time to get outside and get moving. If you are longing to get moving but are stuck at a desk during the daytime hours, you can still get your blood moving! April kicks off the American Heart Association's Move More Month to celebrate, inspire, and live healthy, active lifestyles.
No diet plans, no gimmicks--just a step towards a healthier lifestyle! For some ideas, the following are some simple suggestions of how to eat smart, add color, move more, and be well. We want to help you be the best you YOU can be! When you are at your best, you can extend that out into your immediate circle, creating a ripple effect in the larger community.
Gear Up
A great way to fuel your body is by adding fresh produce to your regular routine. The vibrant colors of these ingredients will help provide your body with balanced nutrition. Invite your friends or family to join you for a visit to your local farmers market to check out some bright-colored seasonal options and maybe discover something new together!
Get Up
This step can be quite challenging for some and easier for others, but it will be the step that gets you going. Whether you just get up and move at home or take the time to do some quick exercises between things at work, these small sessions help to build up.
The following are some workouts that can easily be done at a desk and can make all the difference in how you feel by the end of the day. To ease into the stretches, neck stretches are a great way to warm up. Hold each side for about 10 seconds. To add more intensity to this stretch you can place your hand on top of your head, applying light pressure.
Shoulder rolls would be good to follow the neck stretch. To do this stretch stand with feet hip width apart and slowly forward, up, back, and down.
Arm circles are an easy stretch, if you have the space, that you can do sitting or standing. Simply raise your arms out straight from each side and simultaneously draw small circles with your hands. Do this for 10-15 seconds and then change the direction of your circles.
Side bends are great for your obliques. By strengthening these muscles this can help improve posture while sitting at a desk. Start by standing with your feet hip width apart with your hands at both sides. Then bend to one side about six inches, this should create a stretching sensation. Return to standing. Repeat for three sets of 10 on each side. Breathe deeply between each stretch.
To cool down, the forward bend is a great way to get the blood flow back up to your head. Start by sitting on the edge of a chair with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Fold forward with chest to thighs and head dropped forward. Relax and take a few deep breaths. To add intensity, you can do this stretch standing with your feet hip width apart, slightly bend the knees and bend from the waist with your head dropped.
Go Outside
Finally, once you are fueled with delicious and nutritious foods, and you have loosened your muscles, it is time to get outside to get some fresh air. This could be a short walk around the office, a quick 10 minutes. Or it could be going out on that trail you have been wanting to explore. Wherever you get moving outdoors, be sure to wear and reapply your sunscreen every 2 hours with BRUSH ON BLOCK® Mineral Powder Sunscreen. Also, don't forget to protect your lips with sunscreen as well. Our new Protective Lip Oil SPF 32 is a great neutral color that looks great on any skin tone.
The goal for April's Move More Month is to commit to 150 minutes of activity a week! The great thing about this is that these activities can vary to each individual's interest. By motivating just one person can begin a ripple effect in their world, which can extend out into the larger community to live their own individual adaptation of happy, healthy lifestyle. If you have something in your own routine, let us know in the comments section.
Resources:
Images provided by Wikihow.com
