Making Time (And Space) For Mobility

Movement. It?s all the rage these days with people being told to sit less and move more. From standing desks and treadmill desks, to walking meetings, the message is clear, moving is good for our bodies. But did you know it?s also important for your creativity? Studies show that people who move more during the day are actually more productive and more creative at work.

But what if you?re limited in how much you can move? Like say, in a rocket ship? What if space (forgive the pun) is at a premium? How do you stay flexible and limber in body and mind?

As we age, and as we become more sedentary, our range of motion diminishes. While people make excuses and blame aging on aches and pains and not being able to touch their toes, you can actually stay flexible through old age. In fact, this could be the very thing that keeps you healthy and leads to a long quality of life. If you?re able to move well, if you can bend down and pick things up, you?re less likely to get injured, you probably won?t need knee and hip replacements and you?ll be able to fend for yourself.

And for an astronaut, age or not being an issue, floating around seems like it would be great for your body, and yes, anti-gravity does wonders for the joints (like swimming), but it?s still vital to move. So how can you ensure you stay limber and incorporate movement into your daily life? Here are some easy and quick ways to do just that:

Down Dog: This free yoga app is perfect for newbies and pros alike. You can sort sessions by time, sequence type, level and more, allowing anyone to jump on the yoga bandwagon. Even if you use it for a quick 5-minute flow in the morning to get the blood flowing, Down Dog is a great way to dip your toes in the yoga waters.

The Mobility Method: Jen Esquer, aka @docjenfit, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy who?s created a program to get people moving and ?provides all the tools to relieve pain, prevent injury, optimize movement, lift heavier, squat lower, and so much more.? Whether you are a limber Lucy or inflexible Fred, she offers daily movements, videos and emails to get you used to stretching and moving your body.

ROMWOD: Advertised as ?daily online yin stretching routines for athletes?, ROMWOD is a monthly paid program based on ?ancient Kung Fu techniques that strengthen and open joints resulting in optimal range of motion.? Easy to follow and with hundreds of routines in bite-sized time increments that you can do on your phone or computer, ROMWOD is often referred to as yoga for CrossFit.

YouTube: Want to try moving more but aren?t ready to commit to a specific program or just don?t want to limit yourself to one discipline? Enter Mobility and Movement into YouTube and have it at! You?ll instantly have thousands of videos at your fingertips to pick and choose from with guided instruction. No excuses!

What is your favorite movement or method of mobility? We?d love to hear it.