Harness movement to gently support your nervous system and combat stress, anxiety and low motivation.
What is a Movement Snack?
It might sound like a weird description, but just like you might go and get a cuppa and a banana around 11am and grab a biscuit or chocolate bar mid-afternoon, movement snacks are designed to keep you going during the parts of your day that you don't usually schedule movement. It's a short burst of movement that doesn't require any warm up. There's no real requirement for how long the snack should be but somewhere between 30 seconds and 5 minutes seems ideal. You also don't need any equipment (although you can use it if you happen to have it) and there's no proscription for the type of movement you can make, except perhaps for whatever works for the environment you're in.
Why take Movement Snacks?
Movement Snacks were originally suggested to combat sedentary lifestyles, but I'm going to get a bit more specific and say that movement snacks are especially beneficial throughout the day to help manage energy and mood, especially if you're doing something mentally or energetically challenging, stressful, are in a high stress environment or are prone to lethargy, low mood or depression. Moving your physical body also shifts your mental, emotional and energetic states via the Vagus Nerve and the connection to the wider nervous system and the brain (read more about that here).
Movement snacks help to you become more alert when you are drained, calmer when you have been agitated and focused when you have been distracted. What's not to like?
What are the benefits of Movement Snacks?
I'm sure I read an article a couple of years ago about how 3 minute bouts of yoga improved productivity in a study participants... but I am not sure about yoga being co-opted in the name of productivity so I will just say, use it how you will, even if it has nothing to do with how much you do or don't get done in a day!
If you've reached that mid-afternoon slump that so many of us seem to get, taking a movement snack is a great way to feel better (and probably more sustainable energy-wise than reaching for a biscuit). Choose a more challenging movement or something that gets your blood pumping!
If you've just completed a stressful task and feel frustrated or wound up, taking a movement snack is a brilliant way to come back to your normal self. Choose a movement that will help you to shake that feeling- perhaps literally.
If you're searching for inspiration in whatever you're doing but it's proving difficult, taking a movement snack to fully take your mind off the task at hand for a few minutes can provide fresh perspectives. Inversions like downwards facing dog or headstand can be great for this one if you've got a space that works.
How do you incorporate Movement Snacks into your day?
If you spend a lot of your day-to-day in one position (say at a desk, behind the wheel or standing at a counter) you will likely find incorporating movement snacks is a good way to keep yourself moving without having to make big changes to your daily habits.
Depending on what you're doing, there may be natural breaks in your activities (say, having completed a task or switching from one activity to another) or scheduled breaks that you can take advantage of to incorporate movement snacks.
At other times it might be worth scheduling your own movement breaks- if you know you get sucked into the 'attention tunnel' when working on the computer/ reading/ watching TV etc and can forget move regularly- set yourself a reminder to take a movement snack every hour or so.
How can you incorporate Movement Snacks in different environments?
This one is easy for some of us who spend a lot of time in a home office or studio space, and more challenging when there is only really public space available. Here are some ideas.
If you're at home, keep a mat rolled out in the room you're in, be that in front of the sofa, TV, or beside the desk. That in itself will (hopefully) remind you to take some regular movement breaks. You can even leave out other equipment (yoga wheel, foam rollers, kettle bells, whatever you feel like working with) to appetise your movement snacks. Just be aware of furniture and objects when working with certain movements.
If it's your thing and you know, for example, you're going to the kitchen regularly throughout the day to make a cuppa, you can also try locating a pull up bar over the kitchen door (even if you don't want to do an actual pull up, bars are awesome for dead hangs).
I used to know someone who worked in a shop and would take push-up breaks in the back between serving customers. If you work in an office, you could take the stairs to the loo or the coffee shop instead of the lift. You may even be able to find a secluded space (empty meeting room or quiet room when not in use by others) to make yourself some moves. If you have easy access to the outside, you might want to take a 5-10min walk around the block.
There are even some suggestions below for movements you can make at your desk or from the sofa, if you're not self-conscious about colleagues or family members who may be around.
How can you use Yoga for Movement Snacks?
Yoga is perfect for Movement Snacks because it has so many options to dial the intensity up or down depending upon how you're feeling and what you need. I have created some inspiration below and you can really expand on these from your own practice or the space or environment that you have to hand.
The immediate de-stress snack:
Perfect for limited time and space, this snack works with your vagus nerve to shift your state of mind.
Sitting or standing, bring your arms out to cactus and breathe in fully into your belly through pursed lips (like through a straw). Exhale and drop your arms and head forward. The exhale can be fast and full the first few times, but as you repeat, try to make it as long as your inhale- or longer. Repeat six times or until you feel a shift.
The mid-email in the office snack:
Most office desk chairs have arms to support your posture whilst using a computer. If your chair has arms and is in good condition (please check first!) you can use it to practice a couple of variations of Dandasana (staff pose) if you find yourself in need of a quick refresh without leaving the screen. This works the core and the energy of the lower 3 chakras for grounding, creativity and personal assurance.
Variation 1 (no chair arms required)- tense both legs and bring them up in front of you parallel to the ground. Push your heels away and hold for 3 breaths before releasing. Repeat as many times as you like.
Variation 2- press your palms into the centre of the chair's arms, lifting yourself off the seat and then tense both legs and bring them up in front of you, parallel to the ground. Hold for at least 1 breath, repeat as many times as you like.
The mid-afternoon slump snack:
I think we've all experienced this one. If your mood is low or you have little energy, sometimes the only way out is to shake everything up!
Stand up and find a secluded spot if that works best for you. Shake out your limbs one at a time, starting with shaking each foot to the front and then to the back of your body. Then move up to the hands. Then try a whole leg and a whole arm at a time, your arms can move side to side or up and down too. Finally bring as much of your body into the movement all at once as you can. Shake it out for all you're worth for a few breaths, then slowly wind down to stillness. See how it feels- repeat if you want to.
The get-up-and-go snack:
This is great for when you need to shake off procrastination on a new task or get yourself fully immersed in something and have a good 5-10 minutes in a private space. It activates your energy all along your spine and helps to ease out stagnation and worry.
Come to all fours, preferably on a yoga mat if you have one to hand. Take cat/cow movements, inhaling to extend your spine, exhaling to flex and round. Trace the movements of your spine with each part of your breath, trying to focus just on the breath and the movement for 10 breaths or so.
Come back to neutral tabletop position, then tuck your toes and as you inhale, engage your core and hover your knees off the mat. Gently lower them as you exhale. Repeat four or five times, then if you wish come to downwards facing dog as you inhale and lower gently as you exhale for another 5 or so breaths.
On the next inhale come to downwards facing dog and breathe there for at least 5 breaths if you can, really pressing into your hands and feet and feeling your hips rise up high.
On an inhale you can step your feet to your hands to find forward fold, then exhale there. Tuck your chin into your chest and on your inhale roll slowly all the way up to standing, head uncurling last.
Repeat again if you want to.
Move to Feel Good
As humans, our bodies were made to move! Mood, attention, capacity to learn and communicate all improve with regular physical movement, so make movement work for you. I've written before about how yoga moves us in all the areas of our being, but if other types of movement are best incorporated into your every day to help you feel your best, do what works for you. Movement snacks of any type are a great way to feel good.
If you'd like to find and hone your yoga movement skills with me, I offer in person and online classes including 1 to 1 yoga coaching to relieve stress, anxiety and depression.
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