Move Like You Mean It

'Sitting is the new smoking' - Many of us will have heard this over the last year or so and many of us CrossFitters will have said 'This isn't me, I'm a CrossFitter..' 

Sadly, for those of us who don't have the pleasure of being a full time athlete and have to juggle regular, mundane, full time jobs; this is not a reality. We turn up at the gym, half-arse some mobility and push as hard as we can for the hour of our day we get to spend pretending to be Kara Webb or Rich Froning. The rest of the time we spend in the car, at our desks and in front of our TVs.

Its even worse for our kids. As soon as they can walk, we take them to Clark's, stick them in some ultra cushioned shoes and send them off to school to sit at a desk for hours before coming home, sitting at the table (or couch) for dinner and then playing on a games console.

It quickly becomes evident that the hour of our day we spend doing thrusters, KB swings, running and rowing; pales in comparison to the 8-15 hours we spend sat in poor positions, hunched over our computers or slowly dying in the car.

But what can we do? If we want to be able to walk in our old age, if we want to be able to sit down on the toilet at 80,  if we want our kids to not have to see a chiropractor for the majority of their adult lives then we need to do something drastic, an it starts with moving like we mean it....

1. Be barefoot - Be barefoot as much as possible, have your kids be barefoot as much as possible (cleaning feet is cheaper than a chiropractor). The muscles in your foot are designed to work, and by taking them out of our ultra cushioned trainers, high-heels or work shoes we allow them to work in the way they were designed. Do you under-pronate? Over-pronate? Guess what... Be barefoot. Your feet (and soul) will thank you for it!

2. Wear flat shoes - If you can't be barefoot, wear flat shoes. Give your toes some space. Ladies (and gents) those high heels you wear, they hurt your feet for a reason, your feet are talking to you, listen!

3. Stand - If you have the choice between sitting and standing, stand! On the train, eating at a Café, having a meeting. These are all places you can chose to stand. You can even convert your desk into a standing desk...  http://www.cnet.com/uk/how-to/diy-ways-to-convert-any-desk-into-a-standing-desk/

4.  Mobilise Everywhere - In front of the TV (its called couch stretch for a reason), Squat in your office, mobilise your shoulders on a doorframe, half-lotus at your computer, lunge in the lift,  get your kids to sit cross-legged on the floor instead of slouching on the sofa, roll your foot on the dog's ball. There are unlimited ways to keep yourself moving.

5. CrossFit - Make sure you (and your kids) do all of this. Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.

Your wellbeing is our priority, make sure it's yours as well.

Coach Stevie