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Monday Move
A No-Equipment Move To Counteract Too Much Sitting
If your holiday was a little too relaxing, try this.
It’s been another exhausting, maddening, whiplash-inducing year, and if you were relieved that the holiday season finally started last week, you’re not alone. Basically no one’s been getting enough rest, and spending some quality time hanging out with family and friends (safely, I hope), eating delicious food, and catching up on good TV (“The Great” is back!) probably felt better this year than it has in a long time. But if you’re like me, a little too much of that time was spent slumped over on a soft sofa.
Pause to note: I’m not here to make you feel guilty for not exercising over Thanksgiving, or for eating soul-nourishing comfort food. If that’s what your body craved, it’s because it’s exactly what you needed. Giving yourself grace and rest, and listening to your body, is what makes healthy habits sustainable for life — and good for your mind, too. And exercise is not a punishment for eating.
No, this is about a very specific side effect that can happen as a result of, well, lounging around: Your back feels crappy. Slouching around on the couch with your pelvis tucked under and your upper back rounded can cause pain and stiffness throughout your back and shoulders.
