Get moving and you will feel better
Table of Contents
Get moving and you will feel better. When I was writing “Depression Has A Big Voice. Make Yours Bigger!”, I had noticed that if I got up and moved periodically, like every hour or so, I felt better. But with all my research, I had never run across this idea of such frequent movement as being healthy.
I just knew it worked. It was so simple and seemed so “out there” that I almost took it out of the book. But I knew it worked. It worked for me as well as for my friends. It worked for a lot of people.
Well, wouldn’t you know on a segment of Good Morning America medical researchers have discovered the same thing? But here’s what I wrote years before in a chapter in my book called “Re-tooling”.
Move frequently
Get up and move every hour or so. Mindless sitting (actually mindless anything), is a breeding ground for depression. Even on your job, keep moving if you can. The depressed mind (influenced greatly by the body) left unfocused for very long will eventually sink to its lowest common denominator.
When we move, a number of good things take place in our bodies.
First of all, our blood circulation improves. We breathe better when we’re upright. When we’re physically active, those good hormones kick in and give us a mental boost. All research on depression encourages physical activity. We simply become more motivated once we’re moving. One thing leads to another and pretty soon we find our mood has lightened. Activity of any kind prompts further activity and we become distracted away from our depressed thinking and distraction is a wonderful thing. Some days this has been my mantra.
When we move, a number of good things take place in our bodies. First of all, our blood circulation improves. We breathe better when we’re upright. When we’re physically active, those good hormones kick in and give us a mental boost. All research on depression encourages physical activity. We simply become more motivated once we’re moving. One thing leads to another and pretty soon we find our mood has lightened. Activity of any kind prompts further activity and we become distracted away from our depressed thinking and distraction is a wonderful thing. Some days this has been my mantra.
Rebecca Platt
Sitting can shave years off your life
The medical community is now suggesting the very same thing. In fact, they have discovered that sitting six hours a day can shave seven years off a quality life. It raises blood sugar levels, cholesterol and decreases circulation, and increases the possibility of heart disease by sixty-four percent. However, a medical study from Australia suggests short breaks from sitting once an hour can alleviate most of the problems. While these studies didn’t target mental health, I don’t think it’s much of a leap to see how this very same activity can affect our low moods as well.
I feel so validated. I knew I should’ve hung out my shingle.:)
For your overall health, why not just try this simple little step for a few days and see if you think it makes a difference.
What could it possibly hurt?
God bless each of you today.
