Move Your Hips

Categories: Blog, blog Jan 17, 2021

In the still current Corona season, many continue to work from home. What was once a dream for many has become the way of life for now. For most of us, the dream was correct - working from home can have its benefits. You can spend all day in your pajamas, or underwear, or less if you choose. You can spend more quality time with your family. You can save money without worrying about transportation and eating out at lunch. And, you can go for days without showering and no one complains to the boss. 

There are always two sides to a coin though. Working from home also has its disadvantages. Your spouse may not appreciate your celebration of freedom from clothes and showers. Your family may not find the quality in the additional time they now find themselves sharing with you.  Your skin may miss the occasional kiss of the sun’s rays. And, your hips may really miss moving.

One of the casualties of working from home is the hips. Hours and hours spent on Zoom, Meet, MS Teams, and other virtual office portals offer more productivity for the workplace but less movement for hips. Working from home means less movement for many. It reduces the walking opportunities - no walks to the car, through the parking lot, or through the office. And it encourages more sitting in front of the screen. As a result, hip flexors get tight, short, and stiff while butt muscles shrink, flatten and fall asleep. Imagine the horror; embracing the freedom to not wear clothes AND not moving around as much as you need to. That’s a combination for sadness if there ever was one. 

You might be thinking, “I have a standing desk, so that helps.” Yes, it does help the hip flexors to be more open, and that’s good. But, static standing for long periods of time creates other issues.

The point is, hips need movement - you need movement.

Movement keeps the body and the mind operating at peak capacity. It circulates your blood, exercises your muscles, and refreshes your brain. 

If you are fortunate enough to work from home, or if you are fortunate enough to work and you have to spend a great deal of time sitting or standing in front of a screen, give yourself some care by taking deliberate movement breaks throughout the day. 

It doesn’t have to be much. A little bit of movement here and there goes a very long way towards your health. The body just needs to know you need it and want to keep certain qualities. The way you tell your body you need it, or the way you let it know what qualities you want it to have, is through using it (moving). 

I like you. I want you to be able to work from home in your underwear and enjoy all the glory that should bring. You deserve to have strong glutes and mobile hips. You deserve to have energy and feel amazing. Here are two very simple movements you can do every hour or so and together they will only take you about 60 seconds to do.

The Hindu Rock x 10 reps

The Cross-Crawl Squat x 10 reps

That’s it. Do these for 10 reps every 60 to 90 minutes while you’re at work. Or shoot for doing them 5 to 6 times a day. They will invigorate you and keep your hips happy and healthy. Heck, maybe your spouse won’t even mind you working in your underwear. Ok, that may be a stretch, but they will help you keep your hips happy. 

If I could add one more thing, if your day affords it, and you really want to give your body some love, take a very brisk walk for 10 to 20 minutes every day, too. Walk as if you are very late for an important meeting, or as if you left the house forgetting you were only wearing underwear or less. Swing those shoulders to drive those hips, keep your lips shut, breathe through your nose, smile, and get after it. 

Ok, that’s really it. 

This is a simple way to stay strong and able while you work long hours in front of a screen, whether at home or the office. Try it and see how you feel, see how you think. This is a plan that is crazy enough to work. Especially if you work it. 

 

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