Daily movement is a critical component for a healthy lifestyle, so we’re focusing on how you can successfully incorporate more movement into your everyday life. At Pivio, our mission is to help and support our community in maintaining lifestyle medicine practices, and we work to achieve this through sharing tangible and realistic tips to attain goals. Read on for more ideas on how and why you should prioritize additional movement in your day!
The Importance of Movement
Research shows that there are significant benefits and advantages to practicing daily movement. Dr. Salvatore Lacagnina, Medical Director at Pivio, shares:
“The Women’s Health study looked at about 40,000 women over 45 years of age and saw dramatic decreases in their risk of heart disease and other chronic illnesses by just doing limited physical activity. Similarly, Alzheimer’s risk goes down with more activity. You can dramatically reduce your risk of chronic diseases by just doing regular physical activities, including walking. Every little bit of movement matters.”
Experts at the CDC also share why daily movement should be prioritized:
- Being physically active can improve brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve the ability to do everyday activities
- Regular physical activity can help keep thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharper through age, and reduce the risk of depression and anxiety
- Incorporating regular movement can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, as well as many other chronic diseases
Movement While Working & Practicing
We understand that working in an office, a medical/hospital setting, or remotely at home, may make it challenging to get up and stay active throughout the day. Our team of Pivio experts have several engaging and creative ideas to motivate teams and patients to move, including:
Take Lunch Breaks On-the-Go
Encourage employees and patients to take a walk over their lunch, or enjoy a picnic outdoors. Taking this time to move and step away from work offers an opportunity to clear their heads and return for the afternoon energized and refreshed.
Set Movement Timers
Having an hourly movement timer reminds team members to get up (even for 2-3 minutes!) to stretch, refill their water bottles, and take a brief – but necessary – mental pause.
Bike Instead of Drive
For employees and patients in an office environment, encourage bike riding whenever possible. Not only is this supportive for physical and mental health, but it is also an eco-friendly choice!
Host Meetings While Walking
Whether in-person or remote, encourage team members to take calls walking instead of sitting at their desk, whenever feasible. This also helps employees to stay better engaged and motivated with their work, as they are generating critical endorphins in their bodies while walking, which help to aid in increased satisfaction.
Set Up Fitness Challenges
Daily movement challenges are an excellent way for organizations to support their employees and their well-being. Ideas to consider for fitness challenges include:
- Workplace Walkathon Challenge
- Stair Climbing Challenge
- Challenge for Charity
- Lifestyle Challenges (drinking water, healthy meals, stress management, etc.)
We would love to hear if your organization implements any of the above ideas to incorporate daily movement, or if you implement something else entirely. Join us on LinkedIn and tag Pivio by Lifestyle Medicine Institute to share how your employees and patients add more movement into their days. Here’s to all of us committing to increased daily movement and supporting our own healthy lifestyle habits for increased energy and vitality!