One very important key to health is variety. Variety of movement. Variety of activities. Variety of exercise. Variety of stimulus. It is often said, humans are creatures of habit. Why? Because doing many, if not most, of our daily activities unconsciously saves us time and mental energy. Evolutionarily this saving of time and energy allowed us to invent tools, control fire, and eventually invent cars, computers, the internet, and the new iPhone X.
Habit has great benefits, but also some downsides. Being creatures of habit means as we do the same things each day, we tend to move the same each day. We get out of bed the same way, brush our teeth the same way, our movements in the shower are the same every day, we park in the same place each day, walk the same route daily, do the same exercises at the gym, etc. This pattern of habit creates many imbalances in our body that can lead to injury and pain. Variety breaks this cycle and saves us from injury and pain.
The more variety in movement in your life you can create the healthier you will be. Variety in both your formal exercise, but also in every day movements and activities is essential. Here are some ideas:
- Brush your teeth or hair with the opposite hand today and alternate each day.
- Sit on the floor to eat breakfast today, stand for lunch, and kneel for dinner.
- Park in a different location in the parking lot every day when going to work or the grocery store.
- Do 5 new exercises at the gym every time you go.
- Walk or run a different route every day.
- Skip, gallop, shuffle, karaoke, and dance during your walk today.
- Walk or run on different surfaces as often as you can (road, dirt, bark chips, grass, sand, etc).
- Try a new sport or activity this week. And a new one next month.
- At the gym, lift heavy with low reps one day, and light with high reps the next day.
- Act like a kid: roll down the grassy hill, climb a tree, do cartwheels, play tag.
- Come up with your own ideas and remember to have fun!
The more variety you add to your daily movements and exercise patterns the healthier you will become. Enjoy your newly improved health!
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Related articles/videos:
Key to Health: Hydration
Top 10 myths about injuries
Choosing wisely and how to live a pain free and active life
10 biggest myths about your body
Exercise vs play: fun is the key
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