Here's how to transform a sedentary lifestyle into days filled with non-exercise activity. All your movement matters.
In 2016, my doctor told me if I didn’t make any changes to my health I’d probably have a stroke within 4 years. That’s when I found myself crying out to the Lord in the parking lot of a grocery store that I’d do whatever He told me to do. But, I couldn’t do it on my own.
Less than a week later, my wife and I were introduced to Revelation Wellness. I learned to let the Lord shine His light into my health and wholeness. The first thing He told me through a Reving the Word podcast was, “get moving.” I was moving very little in my day and it was killing me.
Staying active throughout the day doesn’t just happen without some effort. What does just happen is inactivity.
According to one longitudinal study, the average adult in the United States sits for six and a half hours a day while for kids it’s even higher. Work, school, streaming shows and movies, commuting, even going to church, etc. all involve a lot of sitting.
The truth is, when we sit too much, we don’t often feel like moving much either. It’s more comfortable to stay inactive. It’s a vicious cycle.
So how do we combat this phenomenon and help steward our bodies well throughout the day? If we want it to be sustainable, with the Lord’s help, we make a plan. God’s word reminds us that: ”The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” – Proverbs 21:5
The first thing God told me through a Reving the Word podcast was, “get moving." I was moving very little in my day and it was killing me.
1. Put it on the calendar.
Everyone and everything else will take up your time if you let them. Often that involves sitting in cars, meetings, getting lunch or coffee, etc. Grab your calendar (paper or electronic), and create space in the morning or evening for a walk, run, or workout. Make movement a priority.
2. Set movement timers.
If you have a watch or a cell phone you can create silent timers throughout the day to remind you to get up and walk around for 5 min or more, get your blood flowing, and your heart rate up just a little bit before sitting back down.
3. Track your steps with a fitness watch or app.
The beauty of these tools is they will remind you over the course of your day without needing to set up timers yourself. Turn them on and let them run. Often they will remind you to get specific step counts in each hour, do some torso twists at your desk, or other helpful reminders to move your body over the course of your day.
4. Move on the hour.
If you’d rather forgo the timers and apps, use the clock to remind you to move at the top of each hour for at least five minutes.
5. Choose movement.
– Choose stairs over elevators if you work or do business in taller buildings.
– Park far from store entrances so you have further to walk to and from your car.
– Walk or stretch during your lunch break.
– Walk your dog around the block, instead of just letting them run around the backyard.
– Give the Roomba a break and vacuum your house.
6. Use a standing/walking desk or stability ball chair
Since we spend so much of our time on computers at work or at home, investing in a standing or walking desk is a simple and strategic way to choose movement during your workday. Adding a balance board increases activity and keeps your mind engaged as well.Y ou can find lots of resources for every budget at On Your Feet America.
Another option is to switch out your desk chair for a large and well-inflated balance/yoga ball. This keeps your core engaged and your body active even while you sit.
7. Enlist accountability partners
Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
One of the best indicators of a person’s success over the long haul is if they have a community of support and encouragement. Find people around you who want to join you on the journey and brainstorm ideas, find times to be active together, and check-in with and pray for one another.
In the end, don’t be afraid to try different ideas and find what works best for you. Don’t give up just because something doesn’t click for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. keep trying new strategies, enlist your community, be kind to yourself when you fail, and develop those sustainable healthy habits of moving throughout the day.
Wes Scheu (Platoon 20), is a Pastor and on the Revelation Wellness Staff Team. He lives in Denver, CO with his wife Erin (Platoon 19), their 3 kids, and doggie. He loves seeing people grow in their relationship with Jesus, sharing coffee and food with friends, and being with God in the wilderness.
