5 Moves You Can Do Right Now

Here are five moves you can make with very little equipment, plus tips on where and when to do them. These moves are no substitute for walking, though—do this stuff to make your walking easier, and to make your whole day more movement-rich. These moves are best done barefoot or in minimalist shoes. And note that at least three of these moves can be performed simultaneously! PS—these moves are great for your pelvic floor, too, since they help your whole body move more effectively!

Back up your hips! Stand with your feet pelvis-width apart. Ideally, you can position yourself sideways in front of a mirror the first time you do it, and look at where your pelvis is. Are you carrying it out over your toes? Bring it back in line, so that much of your weight is resting in your heels; can you comfortably lift your toes up? You're probably in the right spot. Straighten your legs completely without hyperextending. Notice how your body reacts to this position. When to do it: Whenever you notice pelvic drift happening. For me, it's when I'm working at my kitchen counter—chopping vegetables, browsing Facebook, washing dishes. This exercise is one I do throughout every day. Bonus points for relaxing your ribs while you do it.

Back up your hips!

Stand with your feet pelvis-width apart. Ideally, you can position yourself sideways in front of a mirror the first time you do it, and look at where your pelvis is. Are you carrying it out over your toes? Bring it back in line, so that much of your weight is resting in your heels.

When to do it: Whenever you notice pelvic drift happening. For me, it's when I'm working at my kitchen counter—chopping vegetables, browsing Facebook, washing dishes. This exercise is one I do throughout every day. Bonus points for relaxing your ribs while you do it.

Elf ears or orange under your chin:

Imagine you have elf ears that point up to the sky. Every time you want to stick your chin out to get closer to the computer screen, take your elf ears along with you! You can also imagine that you have a large orange under your chin, and you don’t want to crush it or drop it. Keep the movement easeful.

When to do it: I do this while driving, walking, typing, playing Pokémon Go, and any time that I'm backing up my hips.

Calf Stretch: This stretch can change your life. You'll need a half-round roller or a rolled-up towel or blanket or yoga mat—really, anything that comes about 3"off the ground and is roundish will do. You can do calf stretch on the side of a BOSU or on a curb if you need to. Stand with feet pelvis-width apart behind your half-roller and back your hips up. Step one foot up on the roller, with the heel firmly placed on the ground. Scoot or step the other foot forward, just as far as you can go without your upper body leaning forward. Hang out there for a while, switch sides, and repeat on both sides.

When to do it: A lot of people love to do this while brushing teeth. Before and after walks or workouts is good, too. I keep a half-round in my kitchen for stretching throughout the day.

Calf Stretch

Don’t lift your toes like I’m doing in this fancy photo! DO keep your weight stacked over your heels, even if it means you don’t scoot your foot very far forward.

Top of Foot Stretch: The tops of our feet are woefully neglected. Moving them more can improve all sorts of things: balance, how you walk uphill, how you adapt to variations in terrain. The instructions are simple: stand with your feet pelvis-width apart, back up your hips, and rest one foot behind you on the floor with toes pointed. The reality, however, is that this stretch can be quite challenging if you've been wearing positive-heeled shoes your whole life. Hold on to a wall, chair, or table for balance, if you need it. A bend at the knee can take some of the pressure off. Keep your legs in their own "tracks" to maximize the stretch. If this is really challenging while standing, sit at the edge of a chair and do the stretch seated.

When to do it: If you're wearing flexible, minimal shoes, you can do this stretch just about anywhere--standing in line, scrolling your Instagram feed, etc. Remember your elf ears while you're at it. You can even do it on the sly during meetings (my favorite).

Notice that your foot can rest at many angles.

And if it hurts, try padding (like a carpet), or bring your foot forward.

Get Down! Get Up! Sitting on the floor is a sure-fire way to increase the quantity of movements your body makes over a day. Sit up on a pillow or bolster if you need help keeping your pelvis neutral. Vary your leg position often and explore how different positions feel. When you get up, notice how you do it. Next time you get up, try a different way. See how many different ways you can get up and down. Then try not using your hands. If the floor is not accessible for you, you can always start with varying how you get in and out of chairs. 

When to do it:

Whenever you have a floor to sit on. You can start with something as simple as sitting on the floor in the morning to drink your coffee, then getting up in three different ways. Your practice can just be the act of getting out of a chair and down onto the floor.