How Movement Makes Us Happier and More Creative
We are naturally lazy. And we have evolved for movement. Clearly, we’re highly contradictory beings. How can we get up and move more? And why should we? Read on if you want to be happier and more creative, to think faster and have more energy.
How much time do you spend sitting? No, really, track yourself for twenty-four hours. Be honest. You don’t have to tell anyone. My bet is that is far more than you imagine. Maybe even enough to scare you. We are, by nature, drawn to inactivity, just as by nature we are meant to move all day long to function our best.
Return on Investment
I love the calculation done by Robert Lustig, the author of Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease. “Irrespective of weight, consistent exercise (even just fifteen minutes a day) is the single best way for people to improve their health. That’s 273 hours paid in for 3 years of life gained, or a 64,000 percent return on investment.”
And yet, according to the World Health Organization, 31% of adults don’t move enough. Most of us spend more time sitting or lying down than they do anything else.
Lazy by Nature
Worse, the more we are sedentary, the harder it is to get moving again. Change is tough. Researchers have demonstrated that exerting the least amount of effort naturally attracts us. They postulate that when we evolved, when food was scarce, sedentary behavior helped to save energy for survival. Overall, we tend to minimize our efforts whenever we can.
The Need to Move
The funny thing is most anatomical and physiological systems evolved to require stimuli from physical activity to adjust capacity to demand. In other words, we are not made to sloth around. We are made for a lot of low-level activity, with occasional bouts of intense play—that’s right, having fun is the most effective form of exercise.
And the more you move, the more you want to move. Once you get started, you can’t stop (I’m living proof—and the one who stands during meetings and is doing squats in the back of a conference room). According to the literature, physical activity is rewarding, when you are already physically active. As Dr. Greg Wells writes, “Exercise is powerful. It activates the systems in the body that create movement. Movement creates a cascade of positive changes inside the body.”
I say it’s a use it or lose it equation.
Facts Won’t Change Habits
We need motivation to change our sedentary ways. Here are some benefits of exercise to inspire you to get off your seat.
Be happier. Exercise releases endorphins. A little goes a long way.
Learn better. Physical activity boosts levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that makes new neurons, improving learning and productivity.
Be more creative. It takes as little as 15 minutes of exercise—aerobic activities, such as walking, swimming, cycling and running, are best.
Think faster. Movement improves your white matter.
Don’t worry. Studies confirm we don’t need moderate or vigorous exercise, but simply to stop sitting all day long.
Top Movement Hacks
Have fun. Our key motivators are playing and necessity.
Stand up and stretch 5 to 10 minutes for every 60 to 90 minutes of sitting.
Go for a short walk before a presentation.
Use walking meetings for problem-solving. Stand up to answer the phone.
Start your day with movement to prime your brain and think more clearly.
Keep a sitting diary, use an app, or an activity tracker, along with reminders to get up and move to reduce time spent sitting.