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As #mentalhealthawarenessweek draws to a close, hopefully more of us will be feeling compelled to get moving now that there is greater awareness about the importance of Moving More for our Mental Health.

However, there are still some misconceptions around how much exercise we should be doing in order to reap those wellbeing rewards.

According to the World Health Organisation, we should be aiming for around 30 minutes each day: on paper, this looks achievable but we lead such busy lives, in practice, it can be difficult to commit the time.

The good news is that physical activity can be broken down into smaller chunks. Research indicates there is no significant difference between one or two short bursts of exercise that last around 5-15 minutes, and longer chunks of over 30 minutes.

In fact, experts recommend that we stay active throughout our day, spreading activity across that period, rather than attempting to squeeze in our daily recommended daily quota of exercise into one single 30-60 minute slot.

This is based on the premis that human beings are not designed to be sedentary creatures. However, with many of us commuting to work by car or public transport then performing our duties at a desk for around 8 hours a day, it can be difficult to incorporate movement throughout the day.

We may try to counteract a day of relative inactivity by going for a walk at lunch time or working out in the evening. We go home, elated and feeling smug because we imagine we’ve hit our workout goals, then flop onto the sofa with a glass of wine and the remote control for the remainder of the evening – because we deserve it, right?

But, according to experts, this approach is fundamentally flawed because, aside from the lunchtime walk or evening gym session, we have essentially been inactive for most of our waking hours, and supposedly this negates any of the benefits we might get from physical activity we do perform.

Again, it often comes down to how we define Movement. My previous post illustrates that this does not have to be structured activities like playing sports or working out at the gym, which people might find more difficult to incorporate when they’re working all day.

Just being on our feet, regularly throughout the day, participating in everyday activities such as hanging up the washing or pottering around the garden, and other similar forms of “bite-sized” movement can be just as good for us as working out at the gym. Most of these activities cost nothing, both in a monetary sense and in terms of our perception of time. As we’re not struggling to fit them in because they’re already part of what do naturally, there isn’t that arbitrary sense of “needing” to do something which, in itself, is often enough to put people off or certainly subdue any sense of anticipation or pleasure they might derive from taking part. For many of us, bite-sized movement is a much more realistic and achievable approach to getting active.

Again, this doesn’t address how we incorporate movement if we’re working in an office and feel compelled to stay at our desks most of the day.

How do we stay active when we’re working a desk job?

Standing desks are becoming more popular although I personally prefer to sit when I’m working.

If appropriate, we could arrange a work call or walking meeting out with the office which allows us to get moving as well as providing a welcome break from our computer screens.

Even just getting up from our desks and walking to the other side of the office every hour or so is better than nothing.

In terms of our commute, we might park the car further away than usual or jump off the bus a stop or two early. If our mobility permits, we could take the stairs as much as possible instead of using the lift.

I think what a lot of us forget or fail to acknowledge is that we are all entitled to breaks and what we do with them is entirely up to us.

Sadly, many of us waste the opportunity to get active and will simply gulp down our lunch (probably at the same time as checking WhatsApp or Instagram) before returning to our computer screens.

In some workplaces this has become a kind of standard practice; sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day with the exception of trips to the loo or to make a quick cuppa, becoming normalised. There is so much to do: who has time to go for a walk?

But taking breaks, preferably for some form of movement, isn’t just beneficial from a step counting perspective; it also helps boost metabolism, stops our joints seizing up, improves our posture because we reduce the amount of time we spend slumped at a desk, and encourages us to move away from our screens which can improve focus and productivity.

If you work in a place where breaks are viewed as a poor use of time, it might be time to raise awareness of the wellbeing benefits of stepping away from our screens: focus on the productivity angle if you think your boss needs extra convincing…

I am lucky that I work from home most of the week which gives me the autonomy to move throughout my working day. I am also part-time which affords me the time to devote to physical activity.

Although I consider myself an active person, even I find it challenging to stay active throughout the day. One has deadlines to meet and online calls to join and sometimes it’s simply not possible to get up and move around.

Sometimes one gets caught up in a piece of work and simply forgets to move; you finally complete a task and when you eventually look up from your screen you discover that 3 hours have passed and you’ve not moved a stitch; your back aches, your bladder is about to explode and your right foot has gone to sleep; you’re feeling sluggish and the last thing you feel like doing is going for a walk – but when you do, you feel so much better for it – energised, motivated and more productive.

Being intentional about the time we take away from our screens can help us to plan activities that boost our wellbeing: going for a brisk walk after lunch helps aid digestion and can prevent that mid-afternoon slump.

If we’ve been working on a task that requires a lot of concentration or sitting through a long, intense meeting, movement can help to clear our minds. If we’re feeling overwhelmed, taking a step back can actually help provide clarity and a walk in nature is a great way to relieve stress, boost our mood, and provide perspective.

We might create a playlist of uplifting tracks or download a podcast episode or audiobook and have these to look forward to. A little forward planning can make all the difference. While the thought of movement itself, may not inspire us to get moving, having something to look forward to can provide the incentive we need to get active.

I have touched upon in previous posts my seemingly infinite list of interests, hobbies and past times. Indeed, it is not uncommon for me to find myself stuck in a kind of “freeze” state, so overwhelmed I become by the sheer volume of activities at my disposal.

Affording an hour for exercise only creates an even greater quandary in my mind as I then feel compelled to choose between a physical activity or creative pursuit or face the consequences of attempting to squeeze all these activities into an already packed schedule.

Bite-sized movement is something of a game changer because even those of us who feel time-limited but who are also susceptible to procrastination caused by decision fatigue, can squeeze in a 5 minute sequence that incorporates a few bodyweight exercises or a brisk jaunt round the block.

Done first thing in the morning, this can feel like a quick win, a quick check off the to-do list that frees up our minds to focus on other pursuits, and can also energise and motivate us and help us move forwards with a more positive mindset. Life doesn’t feel quite so overwhelming after all…

My relationship with Movement has become more complex in the last year or so. I attribute this to other challenges in my life: perimenopause and the death of my father being two prominent factors.

While I never used to struggle with motivation, I have fallen somewhat out of love with the activities I once enjoyed. The thought of going to the gym isn’t so appealing and the time it takes is a compelling factor.

I love bite-sized movement because it slips into the day fairly seamlessly whereas a trip to the gym has to be planned and honestly, my headspace feels so limited these days, I can feel overwhelmed at the prospect. If I can slip on my trainers and out the door in seconds to go for a walk instead, this feels a lot more achievable.

I think one can get bored of the same activities and find that they don’t derive the same benefits they once used to. I can find intense exercise somewhat draining at times and bite-sized movement gives me what I need in a more effortless way.

There are a few examples of bite-sized movement I have been enjoying and these include:

The Daily Move on the Calm app. This is low impact and incorporates a mindfulness element so it feels like a form of movement that addresses both physical and mental wellbeing: https://www.calm.com/app/class/past-week-of-daily-moves

Dr Rangan Chatterjees’s 5 minute kitchen workout which you can find on YouTube: this is free, require no equipment, can be done in the comfort of your own home (in your kitchen if necessary, hence the title), and can be adapted to suit your own individual needs: https://drchatterjee.com/5min-kitchen-workout/

A “wog” (walk/jog): this is my favourite go-to to get my active zone minutes up. I will set out for a walk but make sure I’m equipped to break into a jog (basically I wear my trainers and avoid carrying anything unnecessary). My aim is to maintain a moderate intensity and heart rate and this helps me achieve my daily goal of 60 active minutes. I will drop down to a brisk walk then back to a jog once my heart rate dips. I continue this until I’ve reached my goal. It gets the endorphins going without putting too much of a strain on my system.

Yoga with Adriene: I love yoga but don’t have time to commit to an hour long class. Adriene’s videos are available on YouTube for free and usually last around twenty minutes. They are low impact and incorporate movement that feels good both physically and mentally: https://yogawithadriene.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene

I throw in the occasional swim or visit to the gym but bite-sized movement has liberated me from the shackles of more structured activities that I was finding challenging to fit in.