If I were a bit more mindful of my tasks and not so attached to the outcome, I’d enjoy my work more and suffer less physically. I must be watchful of overdoing.
This tendency and its result are obvious during my days in the garden. I’ll have a bed I want to put in or a walkway I MUST get constructed over the weekend. Come Monday morning, my hands are beaten to shreds, my back is aching, and my feet cry out with that first morning walk across the floor. It is easy to make the deduction: girl, you did too much.
With days of blistering cold and a looming graphic due date, there was no need to fear this might occur. I spent 3 days immersed in a project requiring a lot of work with a word processor, a good deal of web surfing, and an afternoon of photoshopping.
The result? Same as above.
My hands are crampy, my back is achy, and my feet are sore. It’s as if I’d spent the weekend toiling away on some back-breaking project. Just three days of sitting still and my body is already telling on me. And research suggests a consistent sedentary lifestyle can be hazardous to your health!
The takeaway? Our bodies are designed to move. The spine, muscles and all joints need safe and consistent movement to keep them healthy and happy. The use of a proper chair and desk with the proper configuration are indeed important, but movement is key.
Every day, make sure to move your body in all the ways it doesn’t get to move when you are at what you do most of the day. In particular, ensure that your spine experiences a backbend, a side bend, a twist, and a forward fold on a regular basis.
You can check out this short practice for moving during inflight travel for ideas. Better yet, find a yoga class near you. Look for a teacher that watches out for safety and encourages you to back off of something that feels ill-suited for your body. But whatever you do, keep moving!
Your body will thank you for it.