YOUR YOGA MOJO BLOG
Don’t Just Exercise…Move!
Moriah Diederich, Yoga Mojo
Holistic Yoga Therapist™, RYT500, Accessible Yoga Ambassador
Most everyone understands the importance of exercise.
It gets our hearts pumping, our blood circulating, our muscles, joints, ligaments, bones, tissues and everything in between moving. Certain body systems, such as our lymphatic system, does not have a pump of its own. It relies on the body’s movements to circulate lymph, which is critical to help the body maintain homeostasis, fight infections and overcome disease.
The question is, what are you doing during your off-hours when you are not exercising? Are you sitting behind a desk? Are you retired and an avid reader, sitting most of the day to enjoy a good book? And if you don’t exercise, how are you moving your body to promote good health for yourself?
In the following video, one of my most inspirational teachers Katie Bowman explains the difference between exercise and movement. Even if you are an avid exerciser, you still may not be getting enough “movement” throughout your day:
What is the difference between exercise and movement? And why is movement so important for good health? Expert biomechanist and bestselling author Katy Bowman explains in this video on Nutritious Movement.
Now What?
After watching this video it’s easy to become both inspired and a little frustrated. Perhaps you’re saying to yourself, “Okay, I don’t move as much as I should throughout my entire day. Now what?”
How do I move more?
Movement isn’t as hard as you think, and as Katie hinted at, getting on the treadmill isn’t necessarily the answer. All of the following activities count for movement throughout your day:
Playing with the kids (human and/or furry)
Cleaning up after the kids (human and/or furry)
Walking to the other side of the office building or to the bathroom and back
Getting the mail (ie walking, not driving, to the mailbox)
Grocery shopping: walking, carrying, taking bags in/out of car and putting away. Lots of movement opportunities here especially if you park your car far away – or even walk or bike to the store!
Doing the laundry (bonus points for having to go up/down stairs)
Squatting down to converse with a child or pet a furry friend
Talking on the phone while walking, dancing and stretching in your cubicle, office or home
Cleaning the house
Taking out the trash
Gardening
Wiggling and dancing while you work at your stand-up desk (which could be made just by putting a laptop on an upside down basket and using a wireless keyboard and mouse)
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
Moving (dancing/stretching/stationary bicycling) while watching TV
Chopping food, reaching into cabinets high and low, doing dishes and having fun moving while cooking
But what if I can’t?
But what if due to age, illness, surgery, or injury you can’t move very well? Perhaps many of the items on this list are challenging, and you find it difficult or even painful to move. This is where I can help! I teach yoga in an accessible way that anyone with a body and mind can practice. And the best part is that most, if not all of the practices that I share can be taken home and practiced at any time. I want to help you to get more movement in, no matter your age or abilities, so you can feel better and be healthier.
EXTRA CREDIT
Okay, I admit it, I have a total nerd crush on Katie Bowman (the voice and genius behind the video featured in this blog post). She has an amazing knack for explaining biomechanics, kinesiology and physiology in an easy to understand and sometimes humorous manner, making learning about your own body a little less boring. And if you listen to her free podcast “Katy Says”, she also has an endearing youthful voice that cracks a bit as she speaks.
Here are my favorite of her books – I highly recommend them all!
Move Your DNA
A bestseller, this is Katie’s masterpiece and seminal work. In other words if you’re going to read just one of her books to understand why and how to move, this is it.
Don’t Just Sit There
A wonderful quick read and guide for the avid sitter, from readers to desk jockeys to couch potatoes. Lots of pictures illustrating different movement options.
Dynamic Aging
A wonderful guide for those of us with a lot of experience in life looking for ways to feel better in an aging body. And, of course, lots of exercises on how to get more movement in throughout the day.
Every Woman’s Guide to Foot Pain Relief
Do you wear shoes? Do you have back, neck, hip, knee or foot pain? Then this book is for you.
Diastasis Recti
A rare guide on an issue that’s more common than you’d think. What is it, how did it happen and how to fix it. All in an easy to read book.
Alignment Matters
Written summaries of the first five years of Katy’s free podcast, Katy Says. If you don’t like to read, check out the podcast. If you prefer reading, this book covers all kinds of cool stuff.
Whole Body Barefoot
For the person interested in letting the 33 joints and 26 bones (25% of your entire body!) in each of your feet articulate fully. Learn why and how to transition to using your feet more fully to move you.
FEEL BETTER IN YOUR BODY!
I am passionate about helping my clients learn how to realign themselves in order to breathe, move and live better. Please contact me if you would like to learn how to align yourself and move more to decrease your daily aches and pains. I’d love to help you feel better in your body!
ABOUT:
Moriah Diederich is a certified Holistic Yoga Therapist, RYT500 and Accessible Yoga Ambassador, and has been featured on KGW8 Portland Today. She owns Yoga Mojo & Movement Therapy in Vancouver, WA, where she offers holistic yoga therapy and private yoga classes customized for each client and their specific needs. Moriah is passionate about helping people move more comfortably on a daily basis with the energy to enjoy family, community and the world around us. She believes that every individual can benefit from yoga because the practice is accessible to everyone and teaches us how to sustain healthy movement for life. Moriah lives in Camas, Washington with her best friend and husband Bret Canfield and their two furry kids: a couch potato Pitbull named Rookie, and a sweet and sassy green-eyed cat named Evie.
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Moriah Diederich
Yoga Mojo & Movement Therapy
108 SE 124th Ave, Suite 18
Vancouver, WA 98684
Mon – Fri 9am – 6pm
By appointment only
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Yoga Mojo & Movement Therapy is conveniently located off I-205 and Mill Plain and serves all of the Clark County, Washington area including Vancouver, Washougal, Camas, Felida, Salmon Creek, Ridgefield, Battle Ground, Hockinson and La Center.The second exit after the NB I-205 bridge, Yoga Mojo is also quick and easy to get to from Portland, Oregon.