By Chris Nentarz, PT, TRX Senior Master Instructor
It is well understood that eating frequent meals throughout the day is more healthy than eating one large meal. The same could be said for exercise. Traditional exercise paradigms instruct us to ‘compartmentalize’ our exercise into a single daily session.
Recent scientific advancements repeatedly demonstrate that this model of exercise is not enough to prevent the negative effects of sitting all day. In other words, we can’t out-train a sedentary lifestyle. The solution? Movement snacks.
Movement snacking is easy and effective at keeping our bodies and minds healthy. Some of our favourite snacks include:
- TRX mobility programs: The TRX turns any good mobility program into a great one. It helps us unload movements and supports our body through the movement making traditional movements more beneficial and accessible. These programs decompress our joints, enhance muscle length and improve our overall posture and body mechanics.
- Rocking or Rolling: Self-soft tissue release increases blood flow, removing waste products that build from sitting. It also increases the nutrients and oxygen available to our systems. The effects of self-massage extend beyond our local tissues and help our bodies globally by resetting our nervous system. A self-massage snack during the day will help the body and mind.
- Walking: The benefits of walking are well understood. Walking lubricates the joints and can decompress the discs in our back. Scheduling walking meetings or parking far from an entrance are great ways to sneak in the steps. An added benefit of walking is that it increases our mental focus. So, you can literally walk yourself into a solution to the challenges that may arise throughout the day.