Dr. Carol Kennedy-Armbruster is a faculty member in the School of Public Health at Indiana University Bloomington. A long-time fitness professional and now a reformed “movement warrior”, she believes that the small physical movements we make every day, such as picking up laundry, walking to catch the bus, even carrying a bag of groceries, are critically important lifestyle activities for older adults.
Lindsay Henwood
It’s a topic she discussed at TedxYouth @Indiannapolis (YouTube, 18 min), insisting that functional movements like these not only count as exercise, but that they’re a “magic drug” that positively impact health and longevity.
We spoke with Dr. Kennedy-Armbruster to learn more about about functional movement, the dangers of sitting too much and the usefulness of activity trackers. Welcome, Dr. Kennedy-Armbruster.
Q&A with Dr. Carol Kennedy-Armbruster
Q: What is functional movement? Can you define it for us?
A: Functional movement is any movement you do throughout the day; they’re movements that are enjoyable, give you energy, and are pain-free.
I don’t like to use the words “exercise” and “fitness” to describe living a healthy, active life. Most people think fitness and exercise equates to working out in a gym, which isn’t always the case. Basic, everyday tasks like walking to the mailbox, removing laundry from the dryer or standing on your tip toes to reach for something high-up in a closet count as exercise. Functional movements like these add up throughout the day and positively impact our health and longevity.
I often recommend the book No Sweat to my students. In the book, author Michelle Segar broadens the definition of exercise. A lot of us fail when we try to commit to a regimen of intense workouts. But when we repeat activities that we enjoy, like going for a walk with a friend or walking the dog, maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle becomes much more sustainable.
Q: Activity trackers. What’s your take? Do people who use them really move more?
A: To change a habit, you need to create the right motivational cue to increase your chances of adopting the good habit. This is where an activity tracker is helpful. You can set certain activity trackers to buzz — that’s the motivational cue — if, for example, you’ve been sitting for three consecutive hours.
However, the accuracy of activity trackers is debated regularly. After doing five years of research into the benefits of using an activity tracker, it became clear to me that we’re just splitting hairs when we talk about how accurate they actually are.
What really matters is that if it’s 3p.m. and your activity tracker tells you you’ve only taken 3,000 steps today, then you know you need to get up and get moving.
What really matters is that if it’s 3p.m. and your activity tracker tells you you’ve only taken 3,000 steps today, then you know you need to get up and get moving.
Research shows that people are initially very excited about using an activity tracker, but like any gadget it eventually get tossed into the junk drawer. What is highly effective though is pairing an activity tracker with a personal fitness coach, especially if you’re not savvy with technology. I ran a program called Ready to Move, where 175 participants were paired with a fitness coach for 8-weeks and taught how to properly use an activity tracker. When we followed up with program participants, more than half were still using their tracker and moving their bodies on a regular basis.
Q: Is there a specific number of steps we should aim for each day?
A: It’s often said that 10,000 steps a day is the right amount. But this is arbitrary. A study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity actually disputes the 10,000 step a day recommendation. Researchers found that 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity translated to approximately 7,900 steps for men and 8,300 for women. The recommended federal physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes a week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity translated to about 7,000 steps a day.
It’s important not to get too hung up on achieving the exact numbers. Use your activity tracker as a motivational cue to get moving and track your activity patterns over time. Maybe on Mondays, you find yourself moving the most, so think about how you can make every day more like Monday.
Q: How, in your opinion, can we reverse the negative trend of sitting too much?
A: Get up! Get going! According to JustStand.org, the average person sits and is sedentary for 12-hours a day. You’re still at risk of the negative impacts of sitting too much even if you try to offset sitting with the recommended 150-minutes of physical activity each week.
Extended time spent sitting results in metabolic alterations that can’t be compensated for with an isolated session of physical activity. When you sit, the blood doesn’t flow as easily to your heart which can lead to an increased risk for stroke and high blood pressure.
Choosing to sit less and move more can lower your risk for serious health issues, increase energy levels and boost metabolism.
A great book to help build better health habits is Get Up! by Dr. James Levine. He talks extensively about the dangers of sitting, and how to reverse the negative trends of sitting too much by making simple changes in your life that make you move more each day.
