According to the World Health Organization, sedentary behavior is on the rise across the globe. However, as fitness experts Juliet and Kelly Starrett explain, many people who fall into the sedentary category exercise every day.
“We’re finding that most people are sitting somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 to 14 hours a day, which is all their waking hours,” says Juliet Starrett.
The Starretts are long-time leaders in the CrossFit world. Kelly is an elite physical therapist to Olympians and Navy Seals. Together, they decided to write ‘built to move’ to give the rest of us a way to gauge our range of motion.
“The number one reason that people end up in a nursing home is they can’t get up and down off the ground. It’s a test that everybody can improve on one of the things we preach to everyone we know, is to spend at least 30 minutes a day just sitting on the ground,” Juliet said.
The Starretts say it’s also important to find ways to correct any bad posture. To extend your hip movement, try the “couch stretch.”
To test shoulder mobility, lie face down on the floor with a broomstick. If you can’t lift your arms, your shoulder mobility needs work. Doing a simple wall hang every day can help.
While we’re all human when it comes to how we treat our bodies, the Starretts remind us, “You really can make an impact on your range of motion, regardless of your age.”
The Starretts say their message is that to keep moving when you’re older, you need to keep moving when you’re younger, even if you don’t hit the gym.