Barefoot Movement Camp
A few weeks ago, in a completely random moment, my One Word for 2014 found me. And, I’m not ashamed to admit, I greeted it with a full-on happy dance (kinda like this). It is so perfect!
I immediately started dreaming up this idea to include you in the awesomeness that will be 2014. I added this launch post to my editorial calendar for the last week of December. Then while doing some research, I stumbled upon this interesting study on holiday weight gain.
If the 195 people included in this study are an accurate indicator, sometime between early November and late December, most of us will pack on a couple of holiday pounds. Then, we’ll spend January and February working hard to shed that extra weight. And, we’ll take most of it off. But, it is likely that one of those holiday pounds will be stubborn. Come March, we’ll give up on it and just accept it is here to stay. (And we’ll do this every year!)
Well, I read that study and decided I couldn’t wait even a few more weeks to tell you that my One Word for 2014 is MOVE! I have some exciting things planned for January, but let’s begin a movement program right now, in the middle of the holiday season. If we start now, our efforts are likely to have a bigger impact than they will in January. (And, it will help reduce stress, too!)
I know, what you’re thinking. What the heck is a movement program, Jen? Do you mean exercise? I do NOT have time for that right now! Guess what, I’m not talking about getting a daily workout in. And, let me tell you why.
Scientific studies are beginning to show something I know you’ve seen first hand. Exercising for 30, even 60, minutes a day is not some golden ticket to health. I have watched countless “healthy” clients suffer heart attacks and strokes. I work with people every day who eat right, exercise regularly and yet they live with almost constant knee, hip or back pain. And, let’s not forget the growing acceptance among some athletes of incontinence.
Most people understand that food is medicine. The connection between what we eat and the health of our body is widely discussed (and even debated). And, there is a great deal of “noise” on the topic of exercise in our culture. Yet, most of us, even if we exercise regularly, fail to appreciate and understand the importance of movement.
Our body was built with movement requirements. To put it simply, every cell in our body feeds on oxygen. They need it for health and survival. They receive that oxygen when we move in very specific ways. Exercise aids in the cellular feeding process, but it isn’t the final answer to our movement needs.
Exercising to meet our movement requirements is like consuming all the calories we need in a week in three to five large meals instead of several small meals each day. It doesn’t work. For optimal health, we have got to find ways to reintroduce regular, natural movement into our largely sedentary routines.
And the good news is, it isn’t that hard. In fact, I believe our bodies give us movement hunger cues in the same way our tummies growl when we need food. We’ve just figured out how to ignore those cues. If we can unlearn that habit, incorporating more movement into our day will become second nature.
So, now you have new questions, right? How do I reestablish my mind-body connection? What kind of movements are required? Where do I even begin? Well, you begin by signing up for this FREE email class!
Class participants will receive a short but sweet email every morning for 30 days (see below for the topics). Each email will open with a few sentences on what healthy alignment or movement in that part of the body looks like. Then, I will share a single exercise you can do during your day to restore that optimal alignment/movement. Of course you’ll need to slide off your shoes and sometimes grab a chair or a towel, but these exercises are all designed to be done quickly and easily wherever you find yourself. (Stay-at-Home Yoga Premium members will have access to a class page that contains videos demonstrating each of the exercises. You can start a 14-day FREE trial today and have access to those as well!)
At the end of this boot barefoot camp, you will have a full repertoire of movements that you can do all throughout your day. And, you’ll be able to hear your body’s regular requests for movement!
You have nothing to lose and your health and wellness to gain. Go ahead, sign up now. You’ll get your first class email the morning after you sign up!
Here’s the class schedule:
Day 1: Regular Movement > Exercise
Day 2: Toes
Day 3: Arches
Day 4: Heels
Day 5: Ankles
Day 6: Calves
Day 7: Knees
Day 8: Hamstrings
Day 9: Quads
Day 10: Glutes
Day 11: Inner Thighs
Day 12: Outer Thighs
Day 13: Pelvis
Day 14: Pelvic floor
Day 15: Sacrum & Sacroiliac joint
Day 16: Piriformis
Day 17: Psoas
Day 18: Core
Day 19: Spine
Day 20: Rib Cage
Day 21: Intercostals
Day 22: Arms
Day 23: Wrists
Day 24: Elbows
Day 25: Shoulder
Day 26: Neck
Day 27: Jaw
Day 28: Head
Day 29: Gait & Walking
Day 30: Relaxation
Let’s MOVE together this holiday season and in the year ahead!
