I get it. Life is busy, and the world seems to spin faster and faster.
Those 5 minutes are precious, so I suggest we use them wisely.
“Dead time” is all around us, and we tend to scroll aimlessly through social media or the news, which probably does not benefit us much mentally or physically.
So, I am on a mini-mission to encourage you to recapture your time and use it to serve you inside and out.
Whether you work in a manual job or desk-based job, or if you’re retired, you need to take a break to stretch your body and give your mind a rest, too.
Hourly is best. This is the same if you drive for a living; every 90 minutes, you must stop for a few minutes.
The temptation when we stop and rest is to grab our phone and “check in” – and honestly, the only things that have been over-used are your thumbs and your neck, which has been held in flexion for too long.
Need more time? Here are a few ideas of what you can take as your next movement snack...
No time at all
Please remember to stop and breathe.
Do not underestimate the power of pausing, wherever you are in your day and taking a few deep breaths.
It’s good for the mind and body. If you want to improve your breathing, this video has some great tips.
30 seconds
Even 30 seconds can be used to serve you. Take a look at this 30-second desk stretch.
1 minute (possibly slightly over!)
This super quick, time-saving stretch gets lots of muscle groups.
2 minutes
You can do a lot in 2 minutes to benefit your physical body.
Here is a 2 minute desk stretch.
...or this short balance challenge.
5 minutes
Well, this is a BIG chunk of time! And we have a few options for you.
There is our Worktop workout.
...or this wonderful whole body stretch.
10 minutes
This is a time to focus on a whole body stretch – you will only get a huge thanks from your body with this! This video was originally suggested as a gardening cool-down, but is a great way to stretch the whole body.
I’d also recommend this whole body stretch, but spend a little more time (perhaps pause the video a few times) on each stretch to get an extra special body benefit!
You'll be amazed at what adding regular stretching and movement into your day will do for your mind and physical body.
Your fantastic body was designed to move, so do your body and yourself a favour and start replacing one scrolling session at a time with some stretching.
Five minutes for your body is long; your heart has done 300 – 500 beats (based on an average of 60-100 beats per minute), and you’ve taken 40 – 70 breaths (based on an average of 8-14 breaths per minute).
So why not add 2, 5 and 10 minutes of stretching, 2 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing, some spinal work or maybe even a balance challenge?
Look at my latest blog on the benefits of stretching for more information.