We do not stop moving because we grow older. We grow older when we stop moving.
- Maddie
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Chair That Quietly Steals Your Health
Don't get me wrong, I ADORE sitting in my armchair reading, researching and can do it for hours on end, I disappear into a world of my own .... and THAT'S the problem!
Let me explain why ....
One of the greatest surprises I've discovered as I've been researching the remarkable Japanese village of Ogimi, in Okinawa—the famous Village of Longevity—is that the older people there aren't spending hours in fitness centres.
They simply don't stop moving.
They garden.
They prepare food.
They visit neighbours.
They walk.
They squat.
They stand.
They stretch.
They get down on the floor and get back up again.
Movement isn't something they schedule.
It's simply woven into the fabric of everyday life.
Here in the West, many of us spend hours sitting.
We sit with our morning coffee.
We sit to answer emails.
We sit in the car.
We sit watching television.
or like me simply sit reading
Before we know it, we've spent most of the day parked in a comfortable chair.
The trouble is...
Our bodies were never designed for that.
The Hidden Cost of Sitting
Research over the past two decades has revealed something fascinating.
The problem isn't simply that many of us don't exercise enough.
It's that we sit too much.
Scientists have found that after around 30 minutes of uninterrupted sitting, the body's metabolism begins to slow.
Muscles become less active, particularly the large muscles in the legs and buttocks that normally help regulate blood sugar and fat metabolism.
Continue sitting for longer and the effects accumulate.
Blood circulation becomes sluggish.
Blood sugar is handled less efficiently.
The body's ability to process fats reduces.
Some studies have even shown that prolonged sitting is associated with lower levels of HDL—the so-called "good" cholesterol—which helps protect our hearts.
In other words...
Your favourite armchair may be more dangerous than your chocolate biscuits.
Your Body Loves Interruptions
Researchers studying "exercise snacks" and movement breaks have found that standing up and moving for just a few minutes every half hour can make a remarkable difference.
A short walk to the kitchen.
Watering a plant.
Stretching your arms overhead.
Marching gently on the spot.
Rolling your shoulders.
Doing a few Energy Medicine Cross Crawls.
Tracing Figure Eights.
Hooking Up.
Thumping K27.
Five minutes.
That's all.
As some of you will know, I've put my treadmill and mini trampoline up on my 'landing' .... so I say to myself I'll go on one of those for the duration of ONE SONG .... often that expands to two or three.
Your muscles wake up.
Circulation improves.
Your brain receives more oxygen.
Joints receive nourishing movement.
The lymphatic system—which has no pump of its own—gets the encouragement it needs.
Even your mood often lifts.
Why This Matters Even More in the Crone Zone
After menopause our bodies naturally change.
Muscle mass slowly decreases unless we actively maintain it.
Bones become more vulnerable.
Balance may not be quite what it once was.
Blood sugar becomes more difficult to regulate.
Our metabolism slows naturally with age.
That's why these tiny movement breaks become surprisingly powerful.
Every time you stand up you're reminding your body:
"I'm still using you."
"I'm still alive."
Movement is information.
Every step tells your brain that your muscles matter.
Every stretch tells your joints they're still needed.
Every deep breath reminds your nervous system that life is safe enough to relax into.
The Japanese Secret Isn't Exercise
Perhaps the real secret of Ogimi isn't a special diet.
Or an expensive supplement.
Or a magical longevity potion.
Perhaps it's something beautifully ordinary.
Movement isn't an event.
It's a way of living.
Just movement because bodies enjoy moving.
Five Minutes Can Change the Day
If you've been following my classes, you've already learned plenty of gentle movements.
Did you print off the list of exercises? I'll add it below to remind you.
Your body doesn't really mind what you choose.
every thirty minutes or so.....
Smile.
Stand up.
Walk to the window.
Look at the sky.
Take three slow breaths.
Move your arms.
Wake up your energy.
Do one of our exercises
Then carry on with your day.
Consider: we do not stop moving because we grow older. We grow older much faster when we stop moving.
Maddie
xxx
Here's what is done in Japan ..... it's called Radio Taiso - a morning warm up. the first video gives a bit of background to it and the second video she's doing it with her Mum, with no 'history' ....
To remind you of what we've covered so far in the Summer Series: It won't happen to me ... until it did:
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