This week we’re talking about movement snacking.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

A review of the three foundations of fitness.

What movement snacking is and why it matters.

What a typical day of movement snacking looks like for Leanne.

Examples of gentle movement that’s great first thing in the morning.

What happens when you stretch and why it feels good.

When Leanne adopts the second foundation of fitness in her day.

How standing up or even standing on one leg can support your fitness.

How you can use opportunities like calls for movement snacking.

What you can do at your desk to support movement.

What a compound movement is.

A strategy you can implement for movement snacking in advance.

Key Takeaways:

Movement snacking is one of the three foundations of fitness.

You don’t need fancy morning movements and sun salutations. Try simply jumping in place or windmilling your arms.

Stretching is great for movement snacking and also releases a nice sensation.

Keeping a kettlebell in your office can help with motivation for movement snacking.

Making a habit of standing on one leg is good for your core and can help you maintain lower body muscle tone.

Taking calls on-the-go (in your office or outside) is a great option for movement snacking and allows you to tackle two things at one.

Compound movements, like squats, give you more bang for your buck, so consider increasing those types of movements.

It can be motivating and satisfying to plan your movement snacking in advance and check it off as you go throughout your day.

Action Steps:

If you want to increase your movement snacking:

1. Try stretching and simple movements in the morning.

2. Build movement into your workday. Make standing your default at the office, and keep a kettlebell or dumbbell around and squeeze in movement when you can.

3. Stand on one leg. Try standing on one leg and alternate between them.

4. Take walking calls. Intersect your calls with movement.

5. Stretch at your desk. Use the time you have for a satisfying stretch.

6. Try compound movements. They give you more bang for your buck.

7. Write down your movement snacking plan in advance. As you go throughout your day, you can check them off your list.

Leanne said:

“The very act of jumping around in one spot is a nice, gentle way to wake the body up, to be honest. It’s a great way also to set your circadian rhythm.”

“I’ll put my headphones in and I’ll just walk up and down the office floor, pacing up and down, talking to somebody on the phone. Or I may take the call outside and go for a bit of a walk. Depends if I can live with a little background noise, but that’s always an option.”

Links To Things Mentioned In The Podcast:

Take our Wellbeing at Work Scorecard and see how your organisations wellbeing strategy scores against 4 key areas of wellbeing. You’ll receive a free highly personalised report with actionable insights.

If you’re interested in finding out what your health IQ is, take the Health IQ test, and get a free 39-page report built around our six signals, which are sleep, mental health, energy, body composition, digestion, and fitness.

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As always, if you would like to register your interest in some of the ideas that I’m putting together with Bodyshot Performance, send an email to anne@bodyshotperformance.com.