Weird Movements that make me feel strong
As a Health Coach I love to ask Spears Strongers what might be easier or where do they feel stronger in their daily lives after completing their training and coaching Start Programs. Here are a few common reactions:
“I can get up and down off the floor with ease and without pain.
Me leading Adult Recess, our 5-minute movement break. Here I’m doing a recent Movements of the Week: Storks and Kneeling!
I feel limber when bending down and reaching up to put dishes away.
Getting on the floor and back up is no problem.
I can balance putting on my shoes and socks.
I can pick up my kids or grandkids.
I can turn my head to see my blind spot.
I have more energy and less pain at the end of my chores or work.”
For me, it was the shower curtain. I vividly remember before doing this type of training putting up a shower curtain - the kind where you have to snap the ring so your hands are above your head for a while… and just feeling so much burning and pain in my neck and shoulders. Shortly after we started Spears Strong, and years later, I can put my hands in the air no problem - all day!
This month at Spears Strong our theme is Movement Improvement and it’s really what we are all about at Spears Strong. New clients come in feeling out of shape, stiff or in pain and after their Start Program - or weeks into it - they are feeling better, have more energy and they are starting to move through space with more ease.
Focused 5 minutes of movement boosts metabolism and aligns your body!
We all know we need to exercise. We know walking is good for us and getting up and down off the ground is supposed to be a sign of good health. But if you don’t have the mobility or you’re vulnerable to joint pain, walking or getting on the floor may cause pain and even injury. At Spears Strong we guide you on how to build strength through range of motion and use your bodies in every direction so it functions well and you can pursue the things you care about.
And when you can move your body without vulnerability and with more strength you can do more and this creates more energy for you, and more calories burned (a goal nearly everyone comes into the Spears Strong lab with).
When we move regularly throughout the day we’re creating non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT. It’s a fancy way of saying calories burned through movement that’s not formal exercise. When we feel good we can do more of this activity and when we can do more activity - whether it be parking further away at the grocery store, digging in the garden or taking the stairs - our metabolic health improves (i.e. we burn more calories and have a better chance of maintaining healthy weight, losing weight and sustaining weight loss).
NEAT can be anything mentioned above but at Spears Strong we get more focused with these regular daily movements through 5-minute movement break routines on video for our clients. They not only improve your metabolic health and help you burn more energy, they also relieve neck tension, make your back ache go away and reset your brain for your next task.
As I’ve gotten stronger and more mobile, I find it easier to do little movements through the day. Here’s a list of 6 weird things I do that make me feel stronger! Most of them require upper body effort which has long been a challenge for me.
1. Cutting large awkward vegetables. I feel secure when cutting butternut squash with a sharp knife.
2. Opening cans. I use the can opener function of a swiss army knife to open cans, any cans. We tried the conventional can opener and they never work as well. The swiss army knife requires a little more muscle, and it’s more effective and we are not buying multiple can openers to find the just right one.
3. Stirring peanut butter. We live on peanut butter and for our nutrition we get the healthy kind that is just peanuts and salt (no added oils or sugar). This requires a lot of shaking and stirring a large 32 ounce glass jar. It takes a little time and a lot of arm work to get it smooth!
4. Squatting with my niece on my back. Years ago when my niece was 6 years old I had her on my back and just started squatting without thinking about it. She said to me emphatically, “you’re flexible!” It hadn’t crossed my mind when I was doing it but felt great to hear that from a kid!
5. Grinding coffee by hand. I usually save this for weekends but I feel super strong hand grinding coffee and it tastes amazing. We also use an aero press daily to make americanos and it takes a lot of effort to press down.
6. Spears Strong Daily Moves. Finally and most importantly, I feel extra strong and good when I do my Spears Strong movements. Before Spears Strong when I was working as a journalist and commuting to work I had daily chronic sciatic and shoulder pain. I ran but I couldn’t really do anything with my upper body. Now I have no pain and feel my upper body strength increasing as I age.
Want to Improve your Movement? Get on board with our theme of the month and reach out today. We’re here to help and we have lots of options to get you started depending on your needs and commitment level.
Book a free consultation!
Ways to get started:
Resources on NEAT
