Sit and Be Fit Philosophy on Exercise
Your body is designed to move. If you don’t move you will pay the price at some point down the line. Movement and activity translate into exercise. For many people who are resistant to the word “exercise” it’s helpful to recognize that an overall fitness plan doesn’t necessarily have to be called exercise. Instead, a healthy lifestyle can embrace the idea of movement as anything you do that keeps the body engaged and active.
Focus on Functional Fitness
The most important type of exercise for healthy aging is expressed as “functional fitness” which means maintaining the ability to carry out the activities of daily life. Sit and Be Fit has been developed around the theme of keeping the body in good working order so that you can feel and function well.
Balancing the Muscles
The muscles were designed to work as a team to carry out movements. When one set of muscles does all the work the opposing set becomes lazy and the muscles may not hold the joints in proper alignment. This creates an imbalance which damages our skeletal structure. How can we avoid the wear and tear of this harmful dynamic?
- •stretch the tight muscles
- •strengthen the weak muscles
- •move each joint through a range of motion daily
Strengthening Posture
Good postural alignment requires constant effort in every position; seated, standing, walking and throughout all movements. This practice begins with an awareness of how the body is positioned and the ability to self correct. Knowing how proper alignment feels is the starting point. How can we strengthen our posture?
- •practice good alignment throughout the day
- •exercise core muscles that support the spine
- •practice good breathing techniques
Motivation to Exercise
People begin exercising for a variety of reasons. As we age, staying functional and enjoying life without limitation and pain are the biggest motivators to making physical fitness a priority. The question is, how can we motivate ourselves or others to exercise?
- •find the right type of exercise for you – ask yourself what interests you and find activities that align themselves with your response.
- •recognize we are all different and not every type of exercise is designed to benefit every person.
- •find some form of movement that strengthens and stretches the muscles and challenges endurance.
- •avoid exercise-related injury by listening to your body and staying within your comfort range.
- •bring variety to your exercise practices.
- •develop an awareness of your own body – tune into what you are doing and have an understanding of why you are doing it.
- •exercise with a friend or group.
The Sit and Be Fit website houses a large library of functional exercises on a variety of topics. To find access these resources click on Blogs and search the category index on the left side of the page.