I have had to explain this difference in many conversations this week and I imagine it will be even more next week. Most people are seemingly hellbent on the idea of doing more and more. There is a huge difference between sitting less and moving more. It is all about mindset. The mindset of moving more keeps pushing forward the idea that we need to do more of the good things. This idea scales by amping this up further and further. It is this mindset that results in going to the gym for 3 hours a day (which I have done!). The issue with this approach is while you initially get results, it is not truly scalable. This approach is in the family of “Do More Good Things”. We should absolutely do more of the things that are good for us, like exercise, proper nutrition, mental health breaks, and strong social structures. But how far can we push this?
Going to the gym for 3 hours, while eating a whole food plant based diet, keeping up with journaling and socializing with friends in the midst of earning a hefty paycheck with a beautiful spouse and loving family that have absolutely no issues is a pipedream, especially if everyone is supposed to attain it. Things are not perfect, but the way to getting the results you truly want, the results that will last, is by doing less. Not less of the good, but less of the bad. Reducing fast food, cutting down TV time by 30 minutes, and detaching from toxic friends are all examples of this shift. The natural reaction is that the void in diet, time, and relationships is filled with something more positive since you reduce the negative. It may not be the super healthy salad, a 30 minute workout, or being friends with a motivational speaker that replaces the bad habits, but as long as they are better than before, you are progressing.
Shifting from the “more good” to “less bad” mindset is a game changing life decision because it scales infinitely. As better habits replace bad ones, some of your previously “good” habits become bad by comparison as you elevate your life. If you really want to have an impact on your health, start with reducing sitting in your life and work. This will have an incredible trickle down effect on the rest of your habits. You don’t need to burn yourself out with the ideas of more and more. Instead, simply sit less.