During school days, our games or gym teachers teach us a few simple exercises. Let us refresh our memories.

Basic simple exercises during school days used to be

• Stretching your hands up, sideways and front
• Bending your elbows and stretching sideways
• Stretching your arms and circling
• Moving your head to each side slowly
• Rotating your ankles and knees
• Jumping on one foot
• Jogging in the same place
• Touching your toes and lifting your hands up in the air

Somehow after school days, we forget them easily.

Few months back, I happened to visit a senior citizens community and these basic exercises were the same ones being repeated for senior citizens as well, as daily routine exercises to keep healthy! Made me think about them. I found it genuinely hard to do these after decades. What used to be so easy and simple, was no longer so.

While these simple exercises just takes about 10-15 minutes to do, I felt it should be doable if I spread it across the day, and tried. Stretching, moving our arms and legs in ways our body needs to have the ability to move as basic and simple physical movements that trigger long term better health. However our daily routines do not need those movements, so we tend to lose our mobility over years.

In between meetings, while switching from one conference call to another, waiting for coffee to heat up, while watering plants, pick your activities or between-activity-times when you can fit in a few stretching exercises. Makes it easier to fit exercise into your daily routine. Buddying up to see who can do how many stretches or jogs helps ensure we sustain the efforts – especially for those who need a constant external motivation in the initial days.

Within a month you will practically see your mobility levels improve.

Simple lifestyle changes help in the long run!