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Episode 17 - The Psychology of Breaking Sedentary Habits Caveman Style
236 Plays12 days ago
Breaking free from this sedentary trap starts with small, intentional actions. Imagine incorporating dynamic movement into your day, even in a corporate setting—standing meetings, walking phone calls, or simply stretching during work breaks. By integrating these practices, you introduce a sense of flow and energy into your routine. Beyond the physical perks, moving more can significantly enhance your mental clarity, allowing you to operate at your peak both professionally and personally. When you reclaim movement, you’re not just improving your health—you’re unlocking a more efficient, focused, and inspired version of yourself.
Alright, be honest with yourself
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Transcript
Introduction: Breaking Sedentary Habits
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Hey there, welcome back to Beyond the Cave, where we explore ways to optimize every aspect of your life, all while reconnecting to your roots.
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I'm Brad Young, your guide on this journey toward greater physical, mental, and even financial performance.
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Today's episode is a big one because if you can crack this habit, it could truly be life-changing.
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We're talking about breaking sedentary habits, caveman style.
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the modern sedentary trap.
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You've likely heard it before.
The Impact of Modern Lifestyles on Health
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Sitting is the new smoking.
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Our modern lifestyles often chain us to desks or couches for hours on end, draining both our physical vitality and a mental sharpness.
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The human body wasn't designed for this level of inactivity.
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Evolution shaped us for movement, adaptability, and resilience.
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Over time, this sedentary existence can lead to poor posture,
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reduce mobility, and even chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.
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But the good news is, we can reverse these effects by adopting strategies rooted in our primal nature.
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The key is to mimic the movements of our ancestors who thrived by staying adaptable and active in the wild, reclaiming movement one step at a time.
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Breaking free from this sedentary trap starts with small, intentional actions.
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Imagine incorporating dynamic movement into your day, even in a corporate setting, standing meetings, walking phone calls, or simply stretching during work breaks.
Incorporating Ancestral Habits into Daily Life
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By integrating these practices, you introduce a sense of flow and energy into your routine.
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Beyond the physical perks, moving more can significantly enhance your mental clarity, allowing you to operate at your peak, both professionally and personally.
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When you reclaim movement,
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You're not just improving your health, you're unlocking a more efficient, focused, and inspired version of yourself.
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Alright, be honest with yourself for a second.
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How much of your day is spent sitting?
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Whether it's at your desk, in your car, or on the couch, being sedentary has practically become the default lifestyle for modern humans.
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Well, today we're flipping the script and taking cues from our caveman ancestors.
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By the end of this episode, you'll have actionable steps to bring movement back into your daily routine and reprogram your mindset around activity.
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Understanding Sedentary Habits First, we need to unpack what it means to be sedentary.
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A sedentary lifestyle is essentially prolonged periods of inactivity, which has become increasingly common in today's world.
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Think sitting at your computer all day for work or school, spending hours on your couch scrolling through your phone, or binge-watching your favorite shows after work or on the weekends.
Comparing Sitting to Smoking: Health Implications
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Unfortunately, these habits are so prevalent that experts have started calling sitting the new smoking because of its widespread and harmful impact on overall health.
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Here are some hard truths.
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Our bodies were not designed to sit for hours on end.
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We're built to move, stretch, and stay active throughout the day.
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Chronic sitting doesn't just lead to discomfort like back aches or stiff joints.
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It can also lower your energy levels, contribute to weight gain, increase the risk of heart conditions, and even lead to serious conditions like diabetes or poor circulation.
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And perhaps the most alarming part, sitting too much doesn't just impact your physical health.
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It gradually erodes your confidence, vitality, and zest for life over time.
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Scary, right?
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But don't worry, there's hope.
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The good news is that habits can be changed.
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Just as we've adopted these sedentary behaviors, we can unlearn them and replace them with healthier, more
Improving Activity Levels with Small Steps
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active routines.
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It's all about taking small, consistent steps toward a more active and fulfilling lifestyle.
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And the best part?
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Those small changes can make a big difference in how you feel, both physically and mentally.
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Let's dive into how you can start turning things around.
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You're found the enemy to activity.
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Recent studies reveal that the average person spends over three hours per day on their phone, with some reports showing this number climbing as high as five to seven hours for heavy users.
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This screen time often involves activities like scrolling social media, streaming videos, or gaming, all of which are typically done while seated.
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When you add this to the time spent sitting for work, commuting, or watching TV, it becomes clear how phone usage amplifies a sedentary lifestyle.
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Such prolonged inactivity has been linked to a host of health issues, including poor cardiovascular health, weight gain, and musculoskeletal problems like back and neck pain.
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What's even more concerning is how this habit becomes so ingrained in our daily routines, often without us realizing just how much time is being absorbed.
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The convenience and entertainment our phones provide can overshadow the toll it takes on our physical well-being.
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This time could be better spent on activities that get us moving, like a short walk, stretching, or even a quick workout session.
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Reducing excessive screen time is not only essential for breaking free from the cycle of inactivity, but also for reclaiming that time to invest in healthier, more fulfilling habits.
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The caveman analogy.
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Now here's where I want you to visualize something.
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Imagine yourself as one of our early ancestors.
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For you, survival depended on movement, constantly.
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Hunting for food, foraging for plants, building shelter, escaping predators and protecting your tribe were all daily necessities.
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Every part of your existence required physical effort.
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It wasn't about exercise or staying fit.
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It was about staying alive.
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Movement was life.
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and every step, climb, or sprint had a purpose directly tied to survival.
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Your body adapted to this way of living over countless generations, becoming a finely tuned mechanism built for endurance, strength, and agility.
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The irony?
Understanding Our Ancestral Need for Movement
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Your genetics haven't caught up to modern life.
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Your DNA still operates under the assumption that you need to be that caveman who hunts his dinner, sharpens his tools, and scouts new locations to settle.
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Your muscles, joints, and metabolism are primed for action, not stagnation.
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But instead of climbing trees, bouncing on rocks, or sprinting across open fields, you're glued to a desk, stuck in a car, or endlessly scrolling through your phone.
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The modern world has stripped away the necessity for movement, replacing it with convenience, comfort, and unfortunately, inactivity.
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This shift has come at a cost, both physically and mentally.
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Think about it.
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Your ancestors didn't sit for hours at a time or live in an environment where food was a click away.
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Their physical activity wasn't optional.
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It was integrated into every moment of their day.
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Without it, they wouldn't have survived.
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But today...
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we've created a world where movement is no longer required to meet our basic needs.
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Instead, it's become something we have to consciously choose.
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A workout at the gym, a yoga class, or a run in the park, often squeezed into an already busy schedule.
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Your body, however, still craves what it was designed for.
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Natural, purposeful movement.
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This evolutionary mismatch between a body designed for movement in a world that encourages inactivity is at the root of why you may feel sluggish, unmotivated, or stuck.
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Your biology is crying out for something different, something it was made for.
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Those feelings of restlessness, fatigue, or even stress could be your body's way of telling you it needs to move.
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It's not just about fitness.
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It's about reawakening a fundamental part of what makes you human.
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good news?
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You can reconnect with that primal need for movement, rediscovering how it can energize your body and mind in ways you didn't even realize you were missing.
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It's not about going back to hunting and foraging.
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It's about finding ways to integrate natural dynamic movement into your modern life.
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Let's get back to basics.
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Because your inner caveman is ready to move.
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It's time to listen to what your body has been asking for all along and reclaim the vitality and strength that's been within you all this time.
Practical Tips for Integrating Movement
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Practical tips to move like a caveman.
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Alright, how do we apply this caveman style in a world full of modern day distractions and sedentary lifestyles?
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The key is to introduce more natural, consistent movement into your day in ways that fit seamlessly with your routine.
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Here are six simple yet effective changes to kickstart your movement journey.
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Movement Snacks.
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Take a quick burst of movement like snacks for your body throughout the day, short and energizing.
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Set a timer for every hour and take two minutes to stretch, squat, do a plank, or even dance to your favorite song.
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These micro movements not only keep your body energized, but also help reduce the stiffness and fatigue that come with sitting for long periods.
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Over time, these small moments add up to make a big difference in your overall activity levels.
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Walk everywhere you can.
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Cavemen didn't Uber or hop in their cars.
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They walked miles every day to gather food, find water, or follow their tribe.
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You can bring a little of this into your life by walking whenever possible.
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Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther away from the store,
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or pace during phone calls.
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Even turning a short conversation with a neighbor into a stroll can help you sneak in more movement.
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These small choices can make walking a natural part of your day just like it was for our ancestors.
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Opt for primal movements.
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Push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, and bear crawls.
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These fundamental movements mimic the natural ways humans are designed to move.
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They help build functional strength that translates to everyday activities like lifting groceries, climbing stairs, or playing with your kids.
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Incorporating primal movements into your workouts, even for just 10 minutes a few times a week, can improve your balance, coordination, and agility.
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Bonus, these exercises require minimal equipment, so you can do them almost anywhere.
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Grab opportunities to stand.
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Sitting all day puts strain on your body.
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But the good news is there are easy ways to add more standing into your routine.
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Consider switching to a standing desk or alternating between sitting and standing while working.
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Take walking meetings whenever possible or simply stand up and stretch during commercial breaks or Netflix pauses.
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Modern convenience has made sitting the default mode, but these small changes can help counteract its harmful effects and keep your body more engaged throughout the day.
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Get outside.
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Nature is the ultimate gym and it offers benefits.
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You can't get from exercising indoors.
Benefits of Outdoor and Playful Activities
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Fresh air and uneven terrain challenge your body in ways a flat gym floor or treadmill never will.
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Go on a hike, take your workout to a park, or even just spend time gardening or doing yard work.
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Beyond the physical benefits, spending time outside improves your mental health, reduces stress, and reconnects you with the natural world, something our ancestors experienced daily.
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Turn it into play.
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Movement doesn't have to feel like a chore.
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Find activities that feel fun and engaging so you don't even notice you're exercising.
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Join a recreational sports league, take a dance class, play catch, or wrestle with your kids.
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Rediscover the joy of movement as play, the way children naturally do.
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Playful activities can keep you active without the pressure of working out, and they're a great way to bond with others at the same time.
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Remember, the caveman didn't have a workout routine.
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Movement wasn't a separate activity.
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It was just life.
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The goal is to integrate movement into your everyday existence instead of thinking of it as something extra to fit into an already busy schedule.
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long-term strategies.
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I get it.
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Changing habits can feel overwhelming, especially in a world designed for convenience and endless sitting.
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The idea of creating new routines might seem daunting when life is already so busy.
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But here's the secret to making a meaningful and lasting shift.
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Focus on consistency, not perfection.
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Start small.
Movement as a Lifestyle
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Maybe it's as simple as adding one movement snack to your day, like standing up and stretching every hour or committing to a five-minute walk after lunch.
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These small but intentional actions might not seem like much at first, but they build momentum over time.
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Momentum leads to confidence, and confidence helps these habits stick.
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Eventually, these little changes snowball into bigger, more sustainable shifts.
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Before you know it, these new habits will become second nature, and that's when the magic happens.
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You'll be moving without even thinking about it.
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Here's an even bigger mindset shift to consider.
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Movement isn't just something you should do for better health.
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It's something your body craves, a natural response hardwired into us through evolution.
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Imagine how our ancestors moved, walking long distances, climbing, crouching, stretching.
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It wasn't a chore.
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It was life itself.
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You have that same blueprint in you.
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Movement generates energy.
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It gets your blood flowing, sharpens your focus, and enhances your creativity.
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It's not just about working out.
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It's about feeling alive.
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Over time, this consistency builds a deep sense of confidence and resilience.
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It's not just your body that transforms, it's your overall mindset.
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When you start to embrace movement as part of your lifestyle, experiencing benefits like more energy, reduced stress, and greater strength, it becomes almost impossible to go backward.
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You'll wonder why you didn't start sooner.
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So embrace the caveman mindset, move naturally, move often, and rediscover the freedom and joy that come with simply using your body the way it was designed to be used.
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Run, stretch, climb stairs, or even just dance in your living room.
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Life wasn't meant to be spent in a chair all day, and the more you reconnect with movement, the more alive you'll feel.
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Okay, here's my challenge for you.
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This week,
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Choose one thing from today's episode and commit to it.
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Maybe you'll schedule that first movement snack into your workday.
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Set a reminder if you need to.
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Or maybe you'll take a call while walking around the block.
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Perhaps you'll challenge yourself to stretch for five minutes before bed or do 10 push-ups each morning.
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Whatever you pick, make it manageable and commit to it.
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When you've done it, take a moment to notice how you feel afterward.
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Do you feel more energized, less stressed, maybe even a little stronger?
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Use that feeling as your fuel to keep going.
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Write it down, take a mental note, or share it with someone.
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Those small victories are the building blocks of lasting change.
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If you're ready to take things a step further, why not expand beyond just a movement?
Holistic Growth and Community Motivation
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Re-evaluate your daily routine.
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Are there other areas where you could level up, physically, mentally, or even financially?
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Small tweaks can make a big impact, whether it's eating cleaner, meditating for five minutes, or setting a new financial goal.
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Growth isn't just about one area of your life.
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It's about creating balance and building a foundation for long-term success.
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All right, Tribe.
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I want to hear from you.
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How are you breaking free of those sedentary habits?
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What small steps are you taking to create a more active, intentional life?
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Share your wins with me on social or drop me a message through the Beyond the Cave website.
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Your journey might inspire someone else to start theirs.
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This is Brad Young signing off and here's to living boldly, moving instinctively and thriving like the ultimate hunter-gatherer that you are.
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Remember, every step forward counts, no matter how small.
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Until next time, stay strong, stay consistent, and keep moving forward.