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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Built to Move summary
Kelly Starrett
Juliet Starrett
The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully
18 mins
Brief summary
Built to Move by Kelly Starrett & Juliet Starrett is a health and fitness book that outlines how to restore movement patterns to live pain-free, perform better, and achieve optimal health. It offers step-by-step guidance and tools to improve mobility and function.
Table of Contents
Built to Move
Summary of 6 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 6
The Sit-and-Rise Test: Finding Back to Natural Movement
Let’s begin by stating the obvious: We all move, all the time.
And let’s state another obvious fact: We’re all not moving enough. And we’re all not moving well enough.
Sitting at a desk for hours on end, guzzling caffeine, staring at screens all day – you don’t need to be an expert to recognize that modern life isn’t working out so well for our bodies. Too many of us are stiff, sore and in pain.
The good news? Taking care of your body is way less complicated than you think. We’re not talking about weightlifting, yoga, or pilates. Our keyword is “mobility”.
Mobility, a popular fitness industry term, can be broken down like this: being able to move in the ways nature designed us to move.
So without much ado, let’s do the first movement! It’s called the Sit-and-Rise test. Stand barefoot and cross one leg over the other. Lower yourself to the floor until you sit in a cross-legged position. Now, get back up the same way. Try to do this all without using your hands.
Start with a score of ten, and subtract a point every time you struggle or need an assist – for example if you lose your balance. If your score is between three and six, you have some work to do. If it’s between seven and nine, that’s pretty good. Ultimately, you want to shoot for a ten.
Why is this important? Well, the ability to get down and up off the floor is a key indicator of health and longevity. You may have noticed that little kids sit on the ground all the time.
But as adults, we sit on chairs – often many hours at a time. This is a problem. Chair-sitting can cause tight hips, tight hamstrings, and serious back and knee pain.
The remedy? Sit on the floor! There are tons of ways to do so – cross-legged, with your knees bent in a 90/90 position, with both or one leg stretched. Do what feels best for you, and switch it up often.
Your new goal is to sit on the floor for 30 minutes every day. Do this for a week, then redo the Sit-and-Rise test. You’ll notice the difference – promise!
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What is Built to Move about?
Built to Move (2023) is your ultimate guide to building a better, healthier, more functional body. The concept is simple – it provides a handful of simple tests to assess your movement, and a handful of easy-to-follow routines to improve it. Utilizing the latest insights of mobility, sleep, and nutrition science, you’ll learn to keep your body and mind as fit as possible with minimal effort – no matter if you’re a couch potato or a world class athlete.
Built to Move Review
Built to Move by Kelly Starrett & Juliet Starrett (2022) is a comprehensive guide that emphasizes the importance of movement in achieving optimal health and performance. Here are three reasons why this book is worth reading:
- With its practical strategies and exercises, the book helps readers cultivate healthier movement patterns, reduce pain, and improve overall mobility.
- The authors combine their expertise with real-life stories and case studies, highlighting the transformative impact of movement on individuals from various backgrounds.
- By emphasizing the connection between movement and longevity, Built to Move motivates readers to prioritize physical activity and adopt sustainable practices, making it far from boring.
Who should read Built to Move?
- Couch potatoes looking for a minimal movement practice to stay healthy
- Professional athletes looking to keep their body as fit as possible
- Anyone who wants to move better and without pain
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Built to Move FAQs
What is the main message of Built to Move?
Built to Move emphasizes the importance of maintaining a strong, mobile body for overall health and performance.
How long does it take to read Built to Move?
The reading time for Built to Move varies, but you can read the Blinkist summary in just 15 minutes.
Is Built to Move a good book? Is it worth reading?
Built to Move is a must-read for anyone interested in optimizing their movement and overall well-being.
Who is the author of Built to Move?
Built to Move is written by Kelly Starrett & Juliet Starrett.
What to read after Built to Move?
If you're wondering what to read next after Built to Move, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Young Forever by Mark Hyman
- Impromptu by Reid Hoffman with GPT-4
- Saving Time by Jenny Odell
- The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
- How Not to Die by Michael Greger and Gene Stone
- The First Minute by Chris Fenning
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- Blind Spots by Marty Makary
- Outlive by Peter Attia