I’m not sure if I’m imagining it, but when I look at the other emerg docs in my group around the same age as me, they look so stiff.
I saw one awkwardly bend over to pick up a fallen pen, and it looked…ungraceful.
It’s a sign–and now, one of my non-negotiable daily habits is to work on my mobility.
Mobility habits are surprisingly simple and yet incredibly impactful.
If you’ve never heard of Kelly Starrett, you’ll want to look him up on YouTube or read one of his actionable books on mobility (e.g. “Built to Move”). He is an author, speaker, and physical therapist who made mobility more accessible and mainstream. His exercises can mostly be done at home with little to no special equipment (other than a floor mat). I’ve often demonstrated his exercises to my patients coming in with mechanical low back pain. These “office chair warriors” often laugh when we sit cross-legged on the hospital floor, but then they quickly stop laughing after a minute when they notice their hips are so tight!
One habit you can add to your daily routine right away is to sit cross-legged. If your chair is wide enough, you can even sit cross-legged in the chair. This position opens up your hips and works on your core stability at the same time. It’s true multi-tasking at its finest!
I’ll often sit on a floor-sized yoga mat with my legs criss-cross and a tennis ball under my sits bones. I’ll write in this position on my laptop.
Question: “what ways have you forgotten to move your body? can you bring back more intentional movement into your daily routine?”
