FEELING GREAT: All you have to do is to insert some ‘bridges’ to get you up and moving

Here’s an early New Year question to help you understand exercise: have you ever gone for a walk or run and wished you hadn’t?
By The Newsroom
Published 18th Jan 2024, 00:00 BST
"How can the decision-making part of your brain accept that you want to suddenly get up and be active when you’re stretched out on the couch, feet up? It’s why so many readers can’t beat the urge to sit on the couch for long periods of time.""How can the decision-making part of your brain accept that you want to suddenly get up and be active when you’re stretched out on the couch, feet up? It’s why so many readers can’t beat the urge to sit on the couch for long periods of time."
"How can the decision-making part of your brain accept that you want to suddenly get up and be active when you’re stretched out on the couch, feet up? It’s why so many readers can’t beat the urge to sit on the couch for long periods of time."

Well, unless you tripped and fell, I doubt if the answer is yes! I guess it’s very unlikely that you will ever regret doing something that involves being active. Do you ever wonder why you get a buzz or a positive feeling afterwards?

It’s simply because of the feel-good chemicals that get released naturally from being active for just 20 minutes or more; it’s almost scientifically impossible to feel any other way than great.

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To reinforce the message, and we speak about it a lot in the Paul Gough Physio Rooms, ask yourself this: how many times have you sat on your couch and wished that you had gone for a brisk walk or jog when the opportunity has been missed? You can only change the way you feel about being active once you’re doing it. In essence, how you feel changes how you think.

The easiest way to change how you feel is to just move and do something – do anything!

Get up and go, even though you think you don’t feel like doing it.

It may not be appealing right now, but you’ll find it hard to think any positive thoughts about being active while you’re sitting in your chair.

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Your brain knows you’re sitting still and doing nothing and it’s a bridge to cross to get from a couch to a run or a walk. You’re giving your brain mixed signals.

How can the decision-making part of your brain accept that you want to suddenly get up and be active when you’re stretched out on the couch, feet up? It’s why so many readers can’t beat the urge to sit on the couch for long periods of time.

They have no idea that it’s even happening, or how to stop it.

All you have to do is insert some bridges to get you up and moving around – bridges between sitting on the couch and walking.

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One could be getting up and walking to the kitchen. When you do that, watch how much easier it is to decide about going for a walk or run, once your legs are moving!

To kick off 2024 please get in touch for a free copy of my book The Healthy Habit. Please call 01429 866771 or visit paulgoughphysio.com.