By themselves, they are just 4 words that start with the letter “M”. When you put them together and practice them in every day life (think safety and wellness), they can have an impact on your overall health. No, the 4 M’s are not a magic bullet that prevent normal aches and pains, but they can help to limit your exposure to various risk factors at home, work and during leisure activities… Now go forth and practice!!!
Mindfulness:
– Believe it or not, your body talks to you all the time. The more mindful you are of your body, the more you will respond in kind to what it is telling you. If you simply slow down and listen to your body throughout the day, the health benefits can be amazing. Always remember these two things: 1) there is more than one way to perform every task. 2) the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result – so if it hurts… STOP DOING IT!!!
At “A Kinetic Life”, we believe practicing mindfulness should the clients primary goal every day if they wish to live a life in motion, a life in balance – as mindfulness leads to movement, moderation and micro-breaks. To illustrate the importance of mindfulness, we offer this example. If you are climbing a mountain without a rope, would you not be mindful of your grip and every step? Why not apply the same approach in daily life. While most activities will not create an immediate life or death situation, continuing to disregard your bodies signals can create a long term affect that you may not be able to reverse. Take a moment to think about why you are doing something, and how you are going about it. Being mindful throughout each day may save you some misery down the road.
Movement:
Our bodies are energy, therefore we are designed to move – so stop with the sedentary habits already. Find a new position to work in every 20 minutes – your body will thank you. Get out of your chair, love seat or recliner and get some water – later on it will create movement through a natural break. Walk the floor or up some stairs to increase circulation – move at a “moderate” pace to increase your heart rate and you’ll burn a few more calories (please be safe and don’t run over everyone…). Push your chair back, stand up, stretch, take a breath, and sit back down – your body will thank you again. Getting the idea yet??? MOVE!!!
At A Kinetic Life, we believe movement is not only a necessity, but something that can help add years to your life. So you still don’t understand completely? Here is some research that supports the FACT that Sedentary Behaviors Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Men.
Moderation:
Don’t do any one thing for a prolonged period. This leads back to the previous M. Reduce contact pressures on the wrist by pulling your hands away from input devices when not in use – “LET GO!” If your gonna lean on your left arm, lean on the right as well. If you sit on your right foot, sit on your left as well. Try using a left mouse if your right is always feeling fatigued – If I can learn how, so can you! My special needs left hand just needed a little more encouragement. Did you know, the best position to sit or stand in is the next one? Static loads are bad, moderation is good. The sooner you incorporate moderation into your daily tasks, the sooner you can begin to find your center and more balance in every day life.
At A Kinetic Life, we believe one of the keys to experiencing greater fulfillment and pleasure in life is practicing moderation. You might think this would be the easiest to practice, but we are bombarded daily with adds and other stimuli that tell us to “live life to the extreme!” If we are constantly in search for that next “something” to stimulate us, be it a relationship, vacation or event, we may very well be missing out on the things that once gave us fulfillment and pleasure in life – our wife, our kids, or maybe our friends.
Micro-breaks:
– Simply stated… taking moments (10 – 15 seconds) for yourself throughout day where you “LET GO” of work (or your tablet/phone), do a quick stretch and two slow deep breaths – quite honestly, this few seconds can become priceless! Start with small goals (several times each day) and work your way up until you meet your end goal – micro-breaks 2-3 times per hour. OMG! How ever will i find the time? When the spiral/wheel is spinning when you open a program/file – LET GO!* If your reading an email – LET GO! If your on the phone – LET GO! If a colleague stops by to visit – LET GO! If your thinking about what to do next – LET GO! WOW! Turns out you have more time in your day to find those “moments for yourself” than you thought. Oh, and by the way… your body will thank you again and again.
At “A Kinetic Life” we encourage incorporating stretching and deep breathing into your routine, as well as taking other moments for yourself multiple times throughout the day. This is not only important at the office, but during a tough conversation, or when your on the phone with a customer service representative that won’t give in to your demands. Additional circulation and air flow can help to stimulate brain activity, as well as soothe rising tensions. A micro-break can even be used to diffuse a heated argument, allowing yourself enough time to say something positive vs. allowing your anger to spill out. When you master the art of micro-breaks, you will find a number of other ways to benefit from them.
A Kinetic Life 