I am a huge fan of Bluey. It is definitely in my opinion the best kids TV show out there. It has something for everyone. It has made me cry on several occasions, laugh numerous times and it is the only show I will without hesitation sit down with my kids to watch. I can also tell you in this safe environment that I have watched it on my own on more than one occasion. I know that I am not alone in this- come on- own up- who’s with me?!
One episode that resonated with me most recently is Housework. For those of you who are not familiar with this episode, Chilli and Bandit (Bluey’s mum and dad) are doing household chores when they ask Bluey and Bingo (the kids) to help tidy up. As Bluey and Bingo are moving things from one side of the room to another they never walk ‘normally’, they dance, skip, hop, go backwards, pretend to be animals and of course ‘Beeeeeoop, ‘Beeeeeoop, ‘Beeeeeoop!’ They move in any way they like and don’t care how they do it, who is watching or have any insecurities about what is going on. I put this to the test with my kids. It was the same, there are very few instances where they move ‘normally’. My two run, wiggle, scoot, jump, have flailing arms, spin, the list goes on! They do it effortlessly, with urgency and more often than not flair that a professional dancer would be proud of. Why do they do it? My guess is to make that ‘normal’ task of moving from A to B much more fun. Moving is fun. It should be fun! I often think about the transition from childhood to adulthood and how sad it is when the qualities of play, childhood imagination and movement are lost. Throughout my teaching career in secondary school it always sadden me to see these gorgeously keen year 7s start the school with wide eyes and no inhibitions and then after some time there is something within the secondary school environment that changes them into these more serious teens, trying to find their ways in the world, conforming to the norms of the situation (more on that another time…). Their demeanours change, their movements change.
In my opinion, movement is key to everything. And this is not just for our children but for us as adults too. There is so much power in movement. In the word itself and its meaning. ‘Starting a movement’ is powerful- think women’s rights, Black lives matter, Stop the war movements, climate change movements. I googled ‘social movement’ and a huge list sprung up in front of me. Politics aside, actual movement can be just as powerful.
I believe movement is magic. It is central to our lives. It is everything we do. Without it we would be nothing, we wouldn’t work, we could not function. I remember distinctly a lesson when I was at school talking about movement. We spoke about how if you were to physically think about walking and how we walk and put one foot in front of the other, it is virtually impossible. Try it! Think how to move and what you need to do. It is incredible how we are so intelligent to make our movements automatic, we can do millions of things and move in infinite ways without even thinking. So why not make our movements (or some of our movements) more meaningful. More purposeful. But also, like Bluey and Bingo, more fun.
The term ‘exercise’ has a bad rep. It sounds boring, can feel choresome and often for many is something that would be avoided. But what if it was rebranded?! Made to sound more appealing and fun- something to be sought after and the thing that becomes our procrastination (ever found cleaning out the drawers in the fridge more appealing than doing that actual thing you need to do/ should be doing?).
If I say to you ‘exercise’ what is the first thing that comes to mind? Fun?! Woohoo?! Let’s go?! Or Big groan?! Too hard?! I don’t have time?! I hate it?! We all know we should do it, but it can be hard work, something additional to add into our already hectic schedules, a nice to do rather than an integral part of our day. I was listening to Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast interviewing Dr David Raichen, also known as The Brain Professor. He talks about The Hadza community from Tanzania and how their hunter- gatherer lifestyle sees exercise as a thing that does not exist. Their lifestyle means they get the recommended weekly amount of physical activity to promote health within two days of their normal activites! In the UK the NHS reccommend 150 minutes of moderate - vigorous physical activity per week for adults 18-64. For children the recommendations are 60 minutes per day! Sport England found in their 2022 study that 63% of adults were meeting this criteria, which means for many, the benefits of moving even just for half an hour a day are not being met.
So what can we do to help this? Can we make exercising a way of life in our non-hunter gatherer world? Can we embody Reel 2 Reel and the Mad stuntman as they rap “I like to Move it!”? Should we? My answer is a resounding YES! Moving in my opinion is everything, it improves your heart function, your breathing, helps lose weight, improves metabolism, but to me, most importantly it boosts your mood, your happiness and makes you feel better. And if you feel good then you can do the same for others around you.
There are a million ways to move, the best thing to do is find something you love- play with your kids, run around the garden with them, climb on that climbing frame and crawl through that tunnel. Remember what it felt like when you were little. It’s fun and great role modeling. Go for a walk round the block after dinner, go on a scavenger hunt round a park, go to the beach, swim, run, dance! ‘Beeeeeoop’ round the house instead of walking! Do whatever feels good to you, but try to build it into your lives and make it a habit, not something you have to do because you should, but make it a non-negotiable element of your daily being. If we can make it fun and integral, think how great that could be for everyone 😀
If you would like to take a first step to adopt a healthier and happier life try my free Mindful Movement Challenge where you can commit to a daily dose of movement, see how it makes you feel and move forward from there. And as always feel free to contact me for more tips and ideas for a healthier and happier you.
Bluey Housework available on Disney+
Reel 2 Reel Image from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Move_It!
Sport England Active Lives Adult survey: https://www.sportengland.org/news/adults-activity-levels-england-bounce-back-pre-pandemic-levels
Steven Bartlett: Diary of a CEO The Brain Professor: “Popular Treat Now Considered Deadlier Than Smoking!”, “Alcohol is Shrinking Your Brain”- David Raichlen
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