Feeling Stiff and Achy? Add Movement to Your Day

Adding movement throughout my day has helped me become a better wordsmith—and feel a lot less stiff as I get older. But I am not big on exercise. So what are some solutions I thought about and what are some solutions I use?

This is definitely going to vary from wordsmith to wordsmith, as we all have different physical abilities, are at different economic levels, and work in different environments, and I can only speak as a person who is currently relatively nondisabled, is economically stable, and works from home.

(Of course, have a chat with your medical professional about some of the following options before you jump in.)

Relatively free—costs just a little time

• Take a stet walk, preferably with your stet pet, if you have one. Bring your phone, but only to snap a picture during your walk—give your eyes a break! (Sadly, I do not have a stet pet, but I would love to see pics!) If you can’t take a walk, try to get outside and grab a seat when and if you can.
• Stretch at your desk. If you can’t get up or walk, that’s okay! Move whatever body part you can to get the blood flowing. When I had my sprained ACL, it meant stretching and flexing each limb while sitting. To remind yourself to stretch, listen to a streaming music service on a free account; every time an ad plays, get up to stretch.
• Make sure you aren’t sitting like a shrimp! As we sit through the day, we may start folding over on ourselves. Pretend you’re holding a flashlight to your sternum. Straighten your spine so that your “flashlight” points out rather than down.
• Follow the 20-20-20 rule to give your eyes a break and keep any headaches away: for every 20 minutes of screen time, look away for 20 seconds at something 20 feet away.

Relatively low cost

• Use a rocking footrest to get your lower legs moving. I have personally been using a footrest by Strong Tek since mid-2020, for both sitting and standing. It’s been a great way for me to add movement to my day without even thinking about it.
• If you have a kitchen island, consider getting a laptop riser, external keyboard, and mouse, and repurpose your kitchen island into a standing desk for a couple of hours during the day. Bonus: you’re closer to your sink, so hydrate!

Moderate cost

• Keep your feet and legs moving with an under-desk cycle or elliptical. Personally, I purchased an elliptical that allows me to use it standing as well as sitting. (Not all desk ellipticals can accommodate standing, so be careful!)
• Wear shoes with good support, indoors and outdoors. My family does not wear outside shoes in our home, so I invested in a pair of sneaks with orthotics that were on sale, and I use them strictly for indoor activities, such as standing at my desk or pedaling on my elliptical. If your joints ache, you can forget about trying to add movement throughout your day.

Relatively hefty investment in money, space, or both

The following suggestions are for standing while you work. If you can’t stand and work, that’s okay! Try something else. Feel free to drop some suggestions in the comments below.

• Moderate cost and hefty space investment: While I ended up not going this route, this idea might be beneficial for you if you have the space and the funds. Think about getting a separate, fixed-height standing desk. Make sure the desk height and your height are compatible. Bonus: if you can place the desk in a separate room, you can change your environment!
• High cost and standard space investment: If you can swing it, snag an adjustable sit-stand desk, which is what I use. (If you’re shorter or taller than average, this could be an extra pricey investment.) I don’t always use my standing desk to stand, to be honest. Sometimes, I use my standing desk to sit better or to sit in a different position. This has been immensely beneficial for me—especially so when I was “temporarily disabled” from an ACL sprain. You know what they say: the best position is the next position!
• High cost and high space investment: I fidget by walking, but if I am walking around, I cannot work at my desk. A potential solution I am considering is getting a treadmill for my desk that I can swap out with my elliptical for some variety. If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments below!

By no means is this shaming anybody for the amount of movement they can do in a day—these are just resources that help my brain to edit and write.

Good luck, and happy moving!
—Rita

Last updated: September 28, 2023
Originally published: July 15, 2022
September 22, 2022: Added language to acknowledge different abilities.