Five Signs Your Body Needs More Movement (Not More Rest)
“Maybe I should take it easy…”
How often have you woken up feeling tired, struggled to get out of bed and sat on the edge thinking about the day ahead?
Then you stand up and everything feels a little stiff.
Even the normal morning routine—showering, getting dried and putting your clothes and shoes on—can sometimes feel like more of a chore than it should.
I’ve had those very thoughts myself. I’ve felt stiffness and aches in my lower back and legs and thought:
“Maybe I need to rest more.”
But what if, sometimes, the opposite is true?
As a therapist, I understand that there are times when rest and recovery are absolutely necessary, particularly following illness or injury. Persistent pain, unexplained fatigue or a significant change in your mobility shouldn’t simply be ignored.
But everyday stiffness and sluggishness can also be associated with spending too much time being inactive.
The human body is designed to move
Our bodies are remarkable. They continually adapt to what we ask them to do.
The problem is that modern life asks us to do less and less physically.
Cars, computers, remote controls, online shopping and push-button technology have made life easier and more comfortable—but they have also created many opportunities for us not to move.
Think about a typical day.
We might sleep for eight hours, get up, have breakfast sitting down, drive to work, sit at a desk, drive home, sit down for dinner and then spend the evening watching television before going back to bed.
For some people, a surprisingly large proportion of the day can be spent sitting or lying down.
And that brings us to our first sign.
- You feel stiff after sitting
Have you noticed that after sitting for a while, the first few steps are often the hardest?
Then something interesting happens.
You start moving—and gradually you begin to feel better.
Our skeleton provides the framework for the body, while our muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints work together to create movement. These tissues respond to being used, and regular physical activity also plays an important role in maintaining muscle and bone health as we get older.
You don’t necessarily need a hard workout.
Sometimes your body simply needs an opportunity to move.
Think about the last time you went for a walk. How did you feel when you came home?
Perhaps you felt warmer, more alert, less stiff or simply better for having been outside.
If you regularly feel better once you’ve started moving, perhaps your body is telling you something.
- Your balance isn’t what it used to be
I often hear people say:
“You know, Mike, my balance isn’t what it used to be.”
One of the questions I ask is:
“How often do you practise your balance?”
We tend to think of balance as something we simply have. But every step we take involves balance.
For a moment, one foot leaves the ground while the other supports our body weight. Our brain, eyes, inner ear, muscles, joints and sensory information from our feet all work together to keep us upright and moving.
People sometimes tell me they’ve become less confident on uneven ground or that they now sit down to put their shoes on.
Getting older doesn’t mean we should simply accept that we can no longer challenge our balance. Like many physical abilities, balance can be practised.
This is something we work on through both our Tai Chi classes and WALX sessions.
For people who feel less confident outdoors, walking poles can also provide additional points of contact with the ground and help with stability and confidence while walking.
- Everyday activities are becoming harder
Walking to the shops.
Carrying the shopping.
Climbing the stairs.
Gardening.
Playing with the grandchildren.
Getting up from a chair.
These aren’t sporting events. They’re life.
So perhaps the question shouldn’t always be:
“How can I get fitter?”
Maybe a better question is:
“What do I want my body to continue allowing me to do?”
For some people, the word exercise itself creates a psychological barrier. They imagine gyms, Lycra, running or being pushed until they’re exhausted.
But movement has a purpose.
We don’t have to exercise simply to become better at exercise.
We move so that everyday life can remain easier and we can maintain our independence.
- You feel tired even though you haven’t done much
“If I’m tired, surely I should rest?”
Sometimes, absolutely.
But there is a difference between genuine physical exhaustion and that sluggish feeling we can experience after spending much of the day inactive.
I know what physical exhaustion feels like.
During my military career, I experienced it while carrying heavy equipment over long distances. That’s very different from the tiredness I sometimes feel after sitting at a computer for much of the day.
Even now, there are mornings when I think:
“I could really do without the walk today.”
Then I arrive, meet the group and we start walking.
By the time we finish, I often feel much more energised and ready to continue with my day.
This is where routine becomes important.
Rather than waiting until we feel motivated to move, sometimes establishing a regular opportunity to move makes it easier to keep going.
That’s one of the reasons we encourage new walkers to build movement gradually and consistently through our Active Start™ programme, rather than expecting everything to change overnight.
- Your world is becoming smaller
This final sign isn’t only about your body.
Ask yourself:
Am I going out as much as I used to?
Am I seeing other people regularly?
Have I stopped doing things because I’m worried I won’t be able to keep up?
Sometimes reduced activity can gradually affect confidence. And when confidence reduces, we may become even less active.
Our world can slowly become smaller.
I recently asked people in one of my Tai Chi classes why they were there.
Some wanted to move more.
Some wanted to learn Tai Chi.
Some wanted to improve their balance or feel better physically.
But for others, an important reason was simply being in a room with other people.
We see exactly the same thing in our walking groups.
People may initially come because they want to become more active, but something else begins to happen.
They talk.
They laugh.
They have a coffee.
They get to know one another.
They begin looking forward to seeing the group again.
Movement creates opportunities for connection
I firmly believe this.
Movement creates opportunities to support our physical wellbeing, but it can also create opportunities for something equally important:
human connection.
Whether someone joins one of our WALX sessions or a Tai Chi class, our aim goes beyond the activity itself.
We want to bring people together.
I’ve said this before about our walking groups:
The poles help us move forward—but it’s the people, conversations and friendships that keep us walking.
Movement doesn’t have to mean “exercise”
When people hear:
“You need to move more,”
they often picture a gym, lifting weights, running on a treadmill or doing an exercise class.
There is nothing wrong with any of those things.
But they aren’t the only options.
Movement could mean:
- taking a ten-minute walk
- standing up more regularly during the day
- gardening
- practising Tai Chi
- walking to meet somebody for coffee
- exploring somewhere new
- joining a supportive walking group
The important thing is finding something that you can do, enjoy doing and are likely to continue doing.
That’s why one of the philosophies behind Life Balance and WALX is:
Thinking movement, not exercise.
Instead of asking:
“Did I exercise today?”
try asking:
“How much did I move today?”
Then think about tomorrow.
Could you move a little more?
Could you walk somewhere instead of driving?
Could you invite somebody to join you?
Could you stand up and move around more frequently?
Small changes begin to add up.
Try a simple challenge
Choose a short walk that you already know and feel comfortable completing.
Try walking it regularly over the next couple of weeks.
Don’t worry about:
Distance. Speed. Pace.
Instead, notice something much simpler.
Before you start, ask yourself:
“How does my body feel?”
Then when you return, ask yourself out loud:
“Do I feel better than when I started?”
You might be surprised by the answer.
At WALX South Lincs, our aim isn’t to turn people into athletes.
It’s to help people stay:
Active. Independent. Connected.
Through movement, fresh air, conversation and friendship.
You don’t have to be an athlete.
Nobody gets left behind.