Sitting can kill you!
This is the fear that health professionals push onto you…but how true is it?
I think that sitting itself isn’t necessarily the end all be all to health, it’s a symptom and behavior that is all too common. For example a typical office work day will have you sitting probably for about 6-8 hours a day.
So if you sit that long per day, the chances that you are also sitting during other periods of the day are higher.
More sitting and less movement is not a good formula for success and health.
However, what can be done for you office workers who are required to sit in a chair, at a computer for your livelihood?
Today I want to give you 5 exercises you need to do to help with the typical issues that may arise. For example, low back pain, shoulder pain, hip tightness, chest tightness. The list can go on, but let’s focus on 5 movements you can do to counter the impacts of sitting all day.
What happens when you sit all day?
If you are currently sitting at your office chair for work - take a second to do a body check.
How’s your posture?
Are your legs touching the floor?
How does your mid back feel?
How about your neck?
If you’ve been sitting for a few hours, you might find that your upper back is feeling tight, that your neck is under a slight strain. You might also feel your low back if your posture is rounded forward.
It might be feelings that you are all too familiar with because you’ve been doing jobs that have been desk jobs for years.
It’s not NORMAL to have pain though : pain is a sign that some behavior you are doing is not helping you.
For example: here are a few things that may happen to you…
Muscle Imbalances due to slouching
It’s very easy to slouch when you are typing on a keyboard. At this current moment, I am slouching, with my shoulders rounded forward. This will certainly lead to postural misalignment over time.
Back and Neck pain
Sitting for hours compresses the spine, which leads to lower back pain. If you have poor ergonomics with your monitor and chair, it can lead to neck straining.
Bad posture leads to less core activation, weakening the core which fails to support the spine.
Decreased Circulation and Increased Risk of Blood Clots
Sitting reduces blood flow, especially to the legs. This increases the risk of swelling, varicose veins, and deep vein thrombosis.
When you have poor circulation you’ll also have less oxygen and nutrients reaching the muscles. This leads to stiffness and fatigue!
Slower metabolism and Weight gain
Extended sitting lowers calorie burn, making weight management harder. Insulin sensitivity decreases, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
A sedentary lifestyle contributes to fat accumulation, particularly around the midsection.
Mental Fatigue and Reduced Focus
Limited movement slows blood flow to the brain, reducing cognitive function. Poor posture can contribute to headaches and eye strain.
Being sedentary can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and even depression.
Phew, okay that was a lot! If you have any or maybe even ALL the symptoms…we need to get you moving!
Let’s talk about 5 movements that will help you drastically improve your strength, and mobility.
Cat / Camel (Cow)
This movement is one of my favorites for almost anyone, but especially for office workers.
Cat camel is a movement that does a ton for the spine. After hours of sitting, it’s normal to get that hunched over posture as well as low back pain. The Cat/camel exercise will get you mobilized as it opens up your upper back, while also stretching your low back.
Now I don’t know if you are about to get on your hands and knees during a work day. But truthfully this can be done even standing with your hands on the wall/desk.
This one is one of the best that you need to do if you sit at a desk all day.
Rows
IF you aren’t doing any type of Row, you are going to increase the likelihood that you have that hunch when you get older. Yeah, you know the type…an older person who can’t pick their neck up because their spine has fused to that rounded position.
Rows help to negate this.
So think about a TRX Row, a bent over row, or a face pull…these movements get your shoulders back into good position, improving your posture.
Even at work with no requirement you can lean against the wall with your feet slightly in front of you. You then drive those elbows into the wall, opening up your chest and feeling that upper back muscle burn! (You can also do this on the floor)
A row will increase the strength and muscle in that upper back, helping to set your shoulders back more easily. It will also help to stretch those tight shoulder and chest muscles that get worse the longer you are sitting at a desk.
So do more movements that improve your posture while also improving muscle strength!
Split Squats
A split squat helps 2 things at the same time. They help to stretch a hip flexor as you perform the movement, as well as strengthen the legs.
What a great combo for you desk workers…if you are sitting all day your legs will get weaker (unless you are routinely doing strength training), as well as those hips getting super tight.
By getting blood flow and a stretch in at the same time, you do a ton of helpful work towards your lower half.
What might be even better is the rear elevated split squats. These get you a deeper stretch in your hips, as well as doing the same strength building…only it hurts a little bit more! (In a good way of course).
Glute Bridges
A glute bridge is exactly what the name calls for. You make a bridge with your body , by using your glutes!
These are so good again because they do 2 things at the same time.
They help to stretch those hip flexors, as well as strengthen the glutes. When you sit all day…you lose strength in your glutes and hamstrings.
By actively doing glute bridge work you can alleviate some tightness while improving overall strength and hip function.
Walk!!
Just move…that’s the name of the game when it comes to feeling better as an office worker.
Ideally this happens throughout your day, rather than all after your 8 hours of sitting. By just moving your body you’ll get blood flowing, be more clear headed, stretch different joints that are tight.
IF you are able to do something like every hour you get up and walk around for 10 minutes…that can make all the difference. For many, I know that even this “small” task isn’t even possible!
And if you only can get in some movement after or before work…do it then!
A sample workout for those who have 15 minutes
Think of this as a workout-lite. This is a flow of movements that you can do pretty quickly that will have a huge impact. Even if this is done once a day during your 8 hour work day...then good enough!
1 round (10-15 mins)
Cat / Camel x 15 total rotations
Glute Bridges x 15 total reps
Wall or floor Rows x 15 reps
Split Squats x 15 each leg
Walk for 5-10 minutes
Simple yet effective when it comes to creating balance in your body. Open up the different joints, while getting blood flow to the entire body.
You can do this at work, and probably won’t break a sweat.
Final thoughts
Our modern age doesn’t help to support healthy living. Desk jobs and endless sitting do a number on our joints, our muscles, and our cognitive function.
It’s up to us to do the work outside of those work hours to support our body. Because so much of the everyday aches and pains can be avoided or at least improved with proper movement.
By doing this quick 10-15 minute “workout” you can help stave off some of the symptoms of office work.
Try it out, let me know what you think!
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