Blog – Teams in motion

A good night’s sleep starts during the day

Ilse De Bondt — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 07:00:28 +0000

Do you (sometimes) also suffer from a poor night’s sleep?
Often that is a temporary and, fortunately, rather harmless problem. Yet a lack of sleep can have serious consequences in the long term. Poor or insufficient sleep impairs our immune system, and something definitely needs to be done about that, says sleep coach Carlo Van Hulle. A good night’s sleep is essential for a healthy life.

The night as a mirror of the day

Sleep problems are steadily increasing, as is the use of sleeping medication. Yet every person is a born sleeper. You are no exception. But we also have another deep-rooted trait: our stress response. It keeps us awake when we are emotional, experience stress, feel tension or are irritated.

Sleeping badly strongly affects our health and quality of life. We feel tired during the day, find it harder to concentrate, are more irritable, experience less joy in life and our immunity declines.

The vicious circle of insomnia

People who sleep badly often lose confidence in naturally getting a good night’s rest. You start worrying about whether you will sleep that night, and in doing so you end up in a vicious circle.

A sleep disorder often manifests on three levels:

Mental: worrying and negative thoughts that disturb rest.
Physical: a tense body and disturbed breathing.
Emotional: difficulty processing stress, fear or anxiety.

Live more mindfully during the day for a better night’s sleep

How you handle everything that comes your way during the day partly determines the quality of your sleep. That’s why it’s important to live more mindfully and be present in the moment, instead of dwelling in the past or worrying about the future.

How do you put that into practice?

Take regular breathing breaks during the day. Consciously switch your ‘on’ button to ‘pause’.
Eat mindfully. Consciously taste what you eat – is that apple sour or sweet?
Move! Go for a walk in nature and use your senses: look, feel, smell. You’ll get free vitamin D as well!
Remember the abreviation CNNE:
- Calm the mind
- Normalise breathing
- Nutrition with a focus on vegetables and fruit
- Energy through movement

Inner calm as the basis for healthy sleep

The aim is to regain inner calm – an essential condition for a good night’s sleep. This approach helps you deal better with stress, negative thoughts and tension.

Gaining insight into how your sleep problem arose also helps. Through breathing and relaxation exercises you can develop skills that bring you closer to healthy sleep.

More energy, better looks, and even more desire for sex

By sleeping better you are more alert, more positive and more cheerful during the day. You also look better: a good night’s sleep reduces the production of the stress hormone cortisol. And perhaps surprisingly, a good night’s sleep increases libido in both men and women. In addition, good sleep is linked to a longer life – something that several studies confirm.

Additional sleep tips

Don’t live on autopilot. Pause to consider what you’re doing and ask yourself: “Does this really need to be done?”
Build a calm evening routine: read a book, take a bath, go for a quiet walk, do yoga…
Avoid using screens in the last hour before you go to sleep.
Don’t drink coffee after 3 p.m.
Be aware of negative thoughts such as: “What if I can’t sleep again?” → Replace them with positive intentions, such as: “I’m looking forward to sleeping well tonight.”

A sitting butt causes Dead Butt Syndrome

Ilse De Bondt — Tue, 13 May 2025 08:00:33 +0000

We all sit way too much. At our desks, in the car, in front of the TV… And it affects your body more than you think. Have you ever had a stiff, numb butt after a long ride or workday? Then you’re not alone.

Welcome to the world of Dead Butt Syndrome, or in Dutch: the ‘sitting butt syndrome’. What exactly is it, how do you know if you have it, and most importantly: how do you prevent it? Time to move – literally and figuratively.

What is Dead Butt Syndrome?

Not only your arms or legs can ‘fall asleep’. Your glute muscles can literally forget their function as well. In medical terms, this is called gluteal amnesia, and it mainly affects the gluteus medius – one of the most important muscles in your butt. This muscle provides stability in your pelvis and for your body balance. When you sit too much, the muscle is underused, weakens, and sometimes even shuts down.

The result? A muscle that no longer engages when you move. And you feel it: in your lower back, hips, or simply in your butt itself.

How do you know if you have it?

Almost everyone recognizes a mild form: the stiff, dull feeling after sitting for a long time. But in more severe cases it leads to:

Stiffness in the buttocks
Pain in the hips or lower back
Reduced mobility
A feeling of instability while walking or exercising

These complaints are often the result of an imbalance between load and load capacity. Prolonged sitting weakens your muscles. If you then suddenly start exercising, overload occurs.

Take the test: do you have a weak glute muscle?

With the Trendelenburg test you can quickly discover if your gluteus medius is functioning well:

Stand upright.
Lift one knee up to 90°, as if you were on a bicycle.
Watch what happens with your pelvis.

👉 Does your pelvis drop on the side of the lifted leg? Then the glute muscle of the supporting leg is too weak.

Prevention is better than sitting

he best remedy against a ‘dead butt’? Movement. Frequent and varied. Especially if you have a sedentary job.

Tips to break your sitting habits

Stand up every half hour.
Walk around while you’re on the phone.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Get coffee a few floors away.
Cycle to the store instead of taking the car.
Exercise regularly, but spread it out over the week. Playing paddle intensively once is not enough.
Take it easy – overloading is not the goal.

Build an active workstyle

After 30 minutes of sitting: move for 3 minutes, for example squats.
Assign someone at the office each day to be responsible for movement moments.
Alternate your posture:
- Working while standing? Switch supporting leg.
- Sitting? Use different chairs or a stability ball.
Try an active sitting posture: slide forward on your chair, feet under your chair, knees lower than your hips → this way your pelvis tilts forward automatically and you keep a natural hollow back.

5 exercises for strong glute muscles

Gluteus bridge

Step ups

Sumo squats

Banded side walks

Romanian deadlift

Conclusion: your butt deserves movement

Your glute muscles are essential for balance, posture, and pain-free movement. Give them the attention they deserve. Stand up regularly, change your posture, move consciously, and train them specifically. Your butt – and your whole body – will thank you.

Source: This article is inspired by the article from the New York Post about Dead Butt Syndrome. Read the original article here: How to tell if you have ‘dead butt syndrome’ — and how to avoid the condition.

Inspired by this article?
Do you also want your team to move more while working on a healthier and more energetic life?

We offer fitness tests, movement moments, and customized movement programs.

Contact us to explore the possibilities!

Strength training: the key to a healthy body and mind

Ilse De Bondt — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 09:35:07 +0000

Strength training is often associated with bodybuilders or athletes, but the truth is that it is for everyone – regardless of age or fitness level – one of the best ways to improve your health.

As we age, we inevitably lose muscle mass. This process begins gradually around the age of 30 and accelerates after 50. On average, people lose between 3% and 5% of their muscle mass per decade, which can total 30% or more by the time we are 70. This can lead to reduced strength, mobility, and an increased risk of injury. This loss affects not only aesthetics but also overall health and quality of life.

Fortunately, strength training is an excellent way to maintain and even build muscle mass. But the benefits of strength training go beyond the physical aspect. It also has enormous benefits for your bones, joints, and even your mental well-being. In this blog, we discuss why strength training is so important and how it can improve your overall health.

Physical benefits

Strength training offers a wide range of benefits that are essential for your physical health. It strengthens your body in ways that other forms of exercise cannot match.

1. Strengthening muscles and bones

As we age, preserving muscle mass becomes increasingly crucial. Strength training is one of the best ways to build and maintain muscle tissue, significantly slowing down the aging process. In addition, strength training increases bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. It not only strengthens muscles but also makes your skeleton stronger, enabling your body to better withstand the daily challenges of life.

2. Improved fat burning

One of the most striking benefits of strength training is its effect on your metabolism. By building muscle mass, you increase your basal metabolic rate. This means your body burns more calories at rest. It not only helps you burn fat but also makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight. In addition, a faster metabolism contributes to higher energy levels, making you more active in your daily activities.

3. Improved mobility and posture

The benefits of strength training are not limited to increasing strength. It also improves your balance and mobility. By training regularly, you strengthen the muscles essential for good coordination. This is particularly important as we age, as it significantly reduces the risk of falls. Better balance ensures that your daily activities are carried out more easily and safely. This helps to prevent back pain and other posture-related complaints.

4. Improvement of the neurological system

Training your muscles also strengthens the neurological system, which ensures better coordination and muscle control.

5. Reduced risk of chronic diseases

Strength training reduces the risk of chronic diseases through several important health benefits. It improves insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control, lowers blood pressure, and improves cholesterol levels, helping to prevent cardiovascular disease. It strengthens bones, reduces the risk of osteoporosis, and contributes to a healthy body weight, lowering the risk of diabetes and obesity. In addition, strength training lowers inflammation, improves mental health, and increases muscle mass, all of which contribute to a lower risk of chronic conditions and better overall health.

Mental benefits

Strength training not only impacts your physical health but also your mental well-being. It offers benefits that help you feel both mentally and physically stronger.

1. Stress reduction and improved sleep

Strength training is a powerful tool to relieve stress. Through exercise, you stimulate the production of endorphins, also known as happiness hormones, which directly contribute to a better mood. Regular strength training also helps release tension and clear your mind, creating a relaxed feeling after training. This effect goes beyond just mental well-being – it also improves your sleep quality, a crucial factor for recovery and your overall health.

2. Improved hormonal balance

Strength training supports not only your muscles but also your hormonal health. It stimulates the production of hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone, which are essential for muscle building, recovery, and vitality. In addition, strength training plays an important role in reducing stress hormones such as cortisol, whose prolonged high levels can cause muscle breakdown and fat storage. By training regularly, you bring your body into optimal balance – stronger, healthier, and more resilient.

3. Increased self-confidence

Strength training is not only good for your body but also for your self-image. Achieving small goals, such as performing an exercise correctly or getting stronger, gives you a sense of pride and satisfaction. It’s not just about how much weight you lift, but about the progress you make and the fact that you invest in yourself. Every step forward – whether you are young or older – strengthens your self-confidence and gives you the feeling that you are in control of your health and well-being.

In conclusion

Consistency is the key. Even if you train only once a week, your body will become stronger and you can slow down the negative effects of muscle loss. The beauty of strength training is that it doesn’t have to be complicated. You can start with simple exercises and gradually build up your training. The most important thing is to make strength training a permanent part of your lifestyle and to keep the motivation to train regularly.

Strength training is so much more than a way to build muscles – it is an investment in a healthier, stronger, and happier life. Studies show that strength training at any age – even later in life – provides enormous benefits, from improved mobility to a longer and more active life. Strength training is not only good for your muscles, but also for your health and well-being in the long term. Regardless of your age, it is never too late to start. Take small steps, keep training consistently, and you will not only become physically stronger but also experience a positive change in your daily life.

Inspired by this article?
Do you want your team to experience how strength training can contribute to a healthier and more energetic life? We offer customized movement sessions that not only strengthen physically but also create more connection and vitality within your team.

Contact us and discover the possibilities of making strength training part of your workday or team activity!

Connecting through communication: keep these 3 things in mind

WebDivision — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 08:00:14 +0000

Communicating with each other seems simple, yet we don’t always seem to understand each other. Or do we end up concluding that we are talking past each other? Why is that?

We look at the world through our own personal lens. That lens is different for everyone. The insight “We don’t see the world as it is. We see the world as we are.” makes it clear why we sometimes look at the same thing and yet see it differently.

Before we know it, we are trying to convince the other person of our own rightness, seeing our way of looking at the world as the only correct one. Result: we no longer truly listen to each other and talk past one another. Outcome: tension, discussion, annoyance, frustration, despair, helplessness, …

We don’t see the world as it is, we see the world as we are.

Stephen R. Covey

1. Everything starts with listening

It sounds like a cliché: good communication starts with listening. And yet, this is the essential beginning if you want a constructive, enriching conversation.

Truly listening: just as difficult as good communication. How often do we keep typing on our computer or phone while someone is talking to us? How often are we busy thinking about the answer we want to give instead of first giving full attention to what the other person is saying?

Truly listening may seem to take a lot of time, but in the end, it actually saves you time because it reduces the chance of miscommunication.

You can truly listen by:

Making time
Making eye contact
Putting away all distractions (such as phone, computer, etc.)
Keeping your own opinions and experiences to yourself until you are asked about them

2. Summarize what you have heard

By repeating in your own words what you heard the other person say, you check for yourself and for the other whether you understood it correctly as the other truly meant it.

We sometimes assume that we have understood everything correctly, only to find out that the other person meant it differently. That communication misunderstanding can easily be avoided by simply rephrasing what you heard. It can be useful to start your sentence with: “Do I hear you saying that …?” or “I hear you saying that… Is that correct?”

Between what is said and not meant, and what is meant and not said, most love is lost.

Khalil Gibran

3. Always keep your LSD at hand

Good communication starts with LISTENING. SUMMARIZING or rephrasing can help check if you understood the message correctly. And if it’s not entirely clear, don’t hesitate to DO ASK FURTHER. This brings you to LSD: listen, summarize, ask further.

For various reasons, we don’t ask further when the message isn’t entirely clear: because we don’t want to be seen as difficult, stupid, or pushy, because we don’t have the time, or because we think we already know what the other means. This increases the chance that we will talk past each other. By “asking further” you show involvement and avoid misunderstandings.

Asking further means asking about expectations, asking for clarity, asking for repetition, … “What exactly do you mean when you say that? I don’t fully get it.” “What do you expect from me? That’s not entirely clear to me.” “Can you explain once more exactly how it works and what the next steps are?”

Inspired by this article?
Do you want to help your team communicate in a connecting way?

Check out our team activities The basics of connecting through communication and Giving connecting feedback, and our program Stronger Together – Connecting thruogh communication for teams.

Or contact us to explore the possibilities for a customized session.

Gut health: the foundation of your well-being

Ilse De Bondt — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 15:22:24 +0000

The importance of our gut

Your gut plays a crucial role in your overall health. It is not only responsible for digesting food, but also for absorbing essential nutrients and removing waste products. What is often overlooked is the vast ecosystem of bacteria in your gut, known as the gut flora. These microorganisms have a direct influence on your immune system, mood, and even brain function. A healthy gut flora not only supports your immune system but can also contribute to better mental health.

How can you tell if your gut is out of balance?

When your gut is not functioning optimally, a chronically active immune system arises, and this can be noticed by various symptoms:
• Frequent illness
• Fatigue or lack of energy
• Difficulty digesting food
• Hormonal imbalances
• Difficulty losing weight
• Poor concentration
• Feelings of sadness or depression
• Sleep problems
• …

What can you do yourself for better gut health?

1. Choose healthy food and eliminate triggering foods

What you eat directly affects the health of your gut. Foods rich in fibre, such as vegetables and fruit, are essential for a well-functioning gut. Fibre promotes digestion and nourishes the healthy bacteria in your gut. Try to avoid foods that can irritate your gut, such as dairy and gluten. Also, be cautious with additives, trans fats, and an excess of omega-6 fats, as these can disrupt gut health.

2. Exercise, get enough sleep, and reduce stress

Your lifestyle plays an important role in supporting your gut health. Regular physical activity promotes digestion and helps prevent constipation. Stress negatively affects your gut flora and can lead to issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). That’s why it’s important to reduce stress as much as possible, build in enough relaxation, and ensure a good night’s sleep.

3. Don’t overload your digestion

Give your digestion time to recover by allowing periods of fasting or by not eating constantly. This helps your gut regenerate and perform its work more efficiently.

4. Nourish your microbiome

Your microbiome benefits from probiotics, which promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria. Fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and the drink kombucha are excellent choices, as they are rich in probiotics that support your gut flora.

Inspired by this article?
Do you want to inspire your team through a fun cooking workshop?
Or would you rather opt for an inspiring lecture?
Take a look at our Activities under the topic “Nutrition.”

Or contact us and discover the possibilities!