Sedentary Is One Step Away from Cemetery

Why Movement Is the Foundation of Life, Growth, and Fulfillment

By Dr. Keith M. Waggoner

“Sedentary is one step away from Cemetery.”
—Dr. Keith M. Waggoner

The Death You Don’t See Coming

Not all deaths are physical. Some happen long before your final breath.

They begin the moment you stop moving—physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.
They happen when your life becomes a loop of sameness, comfort, and stillness.
And they often go unnoticed… until it’s too late.

One day you realize:
You’ve been alive… but you haven’t been living.

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Designed to Move Forward

If you examine the human body—even with zero scientific background—it’s obvious:

We were built for forward motion.

• Our eyes are on the front of our heads—not the side like prey animals. We are meant to see what’s ahead and pursue it.

• Our legs and knees are built for forward propulsion. Backward walking is possible—but awkward. Nature favors progress.

• Our spine supports upright walking, symbolizing our dignity and our orientation to forward-facing goals.

• Even our arms swing when we walk to create momentum. We are not static statues—we are dynamic beings.

Theologian and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl wrote, “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.”
And purpose requires direction.
Direction requires movement.

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Emotion Is Energy in Motion

Ever wonder why depression feels like heaviness? Why heartbreak seems to paralyze you?

Because your emotions are tied to your motion.

The very word emotion is derived from the Latin emovere—“to move out.”
You cannot feel fully alive without movement.

Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, in his book The Body Keeps the Score, explains how trauma and emotional stagnation lodge themselves in the body. Movement—especially rhythmic, intentional motion like walking, dancing, or physical training—can help release and rewire the emotional pain stored in your nervous system.

This is why after a walk, a hard workout, or even a deep-cleaning session—you feel better.
Motion regulates emotion.

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The Science of Staying Alive: Grow or Die

In botany, a tree is considered alive only if it is growing.
If it’s not producing new rings, sprouting leaves, or expanding—it is dead, even if it hasn’t fallen yet.

You and I are no different.

Neuroscience shows that adults experience neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to grow and rewire—through learning, exercise, and challenge.
When we stop moving physically or mentally, neuroplasticity slows. This contributes to faster cognitive decline and emotional dullness.

A recent Harvard Health study reported that just 15 minutes of moderate physical activity a day can add 3 years to your life.
Regular movement reduces risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.
It also boosts mood by increasing endorphins and neurotrophic factors like BDNF, which literally help you grow new brain cells.

Movement isn’t just good for you.
It’s the difference between a long life… and a full one.

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The Laws of Thermodynamics Don’t Lie

The Second Law of Thermodynamics teaches that systems tend toward disorder unless energy is consistently added.

Translation?
If you’re not intentionally building your body, soul, and mind… they will fall into disorder.

Entropy is real—not just in physics but in relationships, careers, faith, and purpose.

If you don’t put effort into your marriage—it will decay.
If you don’t invest time into your health—it will decline.
If you don’t fuel your passion—it will extinguish.

Motion is the antidote to entropy.

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Scripture and the Sacredness of Stride

The Bible is full of forward-moving verbs: run, walk, go, seek, knock, rise.

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” —Hebrews 12:1
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” —Psalm 37:23
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” —Isaiah 43:18-19

Faith is not passive. It’s not sedentary.
It’s a walk with God. A race of endurance. A calling forward.

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How Sedentary Living Slowly Kills You

Sedentary habits don’t just hurt your body. They harm your identity.

• Sitting too long makes you feel powerless.

• Lack of exercise decreases testosterone, dopamine, and confidence.

• Repetition without growth breeds resentment.

• Avoidance of challenges rewires your brain for fear.

Every day you stay still, you surrender a bit more of who you were created to become.

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Coaching: The Antidote to Stagnation

This is why coaching is not a luxury. It’s a necessity in a culture designed to make you sit, scroll, and settle.

Great coaching helps you:

• Rediscover your momentum—mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

• Design a strategy for growth tailored to your goals.

• Break stagnation cycles and replace them with action plans.

• Create accountability—so movement isn’t just a wish, but a reality.

• Overcome excuses with clarity, courage, and commitment.

Every world-class athlete, CEO, soldier, and high-impact leader has someone to push them forward.
Why wouldn’t you?

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Final Word: Choose Movement. Choose Life.

You were made to move.
Your spirit craves progress.
Your brain rewards challenge.
Your body was engineered for momentum.

Staying still is slow suicide.
So take the step.

Walk.
Run.
Stretch.
Lift.
Pray.
Build.
Grow.
Move.

Because as I’ve said before—and will keep saying…

“Sedentary is one step away from Cemetery.”
—Dr. Keith M. Waggoner

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Ready to start moving again—body, soul, and life?
Let’s talk about coaching. You don’t need to do this alone.

📩 Contact Me for a Free Coaching Consultation »
🔥 Don’t wait. You were made for motion.