Movement Puts Life Into Our Cells, Literally!

Our bodies require movement, a lot of it, to operate fully. And that's the reason exercise is nearly always listed as beneficial for health issues. But it's not just our joints and muscles that are protected by movement. Did you know that the health of our eyes and thus our vision can be impacted by lack of movement, as well as our digestion? And without movement we just don't FEEL our best each day.

Our DNA is actually maintained through lifestyle related factors like diet, movement, rest, and the amount of inflammation going on in our bodies. Movement actually matters at the cellular level to all of us. 

Recently I started looking into the work of Dr. Laurie Renee Santos, a cognitive scientist and Professor of Psychology at Yale University.  She taught a course, Psychology and the Good Life, that became the most popular course in Yale's 300 year history. Although she thought 20 students would show up, more than a quarter of the student body enrolled. She felt the response to her "Happiness Course" was due to the metal health crisis seen on her campus and others. Dr. Santos teaches a free class called "The Science of Well-Being" that has enrolled about a million people.​

Here's the thing about Dr. Santo's research that fascinated me: 

The research showed that moving our bodies is one of the most important habits we can adopt to support our well-being. 

But unfortunately, the wiring in our brains makes it hard to WANT to move. 

Instead, we are wired to CRAVE things that might not necessarily make us feel better: a cupcake, a glass of wine, or more Netflix. Those things can sometimes work in the short term, but they can also really backfire, make us feel worse, or lead to serious addiction issues.

Reading this I felt relief--it's not just me, it's all of us. Whew!

And some cultures are good at building more movement into everyday life--like here in Siena.  No cars are allowed on the main streets. I have to walk to the grocery store, and carry my food home. So I tend to go more often. Not so in US Culture. It's super easy to work at the computer all day and then flop onto the couch each evening.

Yoga is not for everyone, but adding in more easy movement is beneficial for all of us.

What easy ways can you find to fit movement into your day?