Distance: 3.6, Yoga
Ciwt was telling a friend the other day that, even though she is officially walking and doing yoga as long and often as she did before sheltering made other activities more limited, something felt off.
"Body in motion. We aren't getting as much of that. Even when not officially exercising, there are errands in and out of stores, filling your car at the station, just generally using nervous energy and being active." he said. Then he told her about a doctor in his youth who would almost trot out into the waiting room to get him and then nearly sprint down the hall with arms swinging into his office. At some point her friend asked his doctor about this, and the doctor answered that you can keep more fit and energized simply by swinging your arms as you walk around the house, or in his case, office.
That was many years ago, but, sure enough, the benefits of arms in motion still hold true today. Turns out arm swinging can increase calorie burning, help distribute physical effort between upper body and legs, tone the arms a bit and generally create and use more energy.
And, actually, there is an optimal way to do this swinging. The walking pros recommend bending elbows with arms close to body and moving your arms forward/straight out rather than across your body. It is important not to let the arms come higher than the breastbone.
Sadly, this means that the bear above is moving all wrong. Oh, dear, Ciwt hates to inform him; he looks so happy and self-satisfied. So she says, don't worry about form, just worry about remembering to move those arms as you walk around your shelter.
There's a website named "Sit and Be Fit" which Ciwt may have to check out one of these sedentary days. (click link to go there)
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