You probably landed on this article because you are in a deep dive search of wanting to live a healthy life instead of getting sick and trying to cure your illness when it’s too late. Congratulations on your renewed mindset. This could really pave your way into becoming the best version of yourself!
Because you have a sedentary desk job with many tasks to fulfill, we bet you’ve been sitting for long hours. You may not want it but you’ve been living an inactive lifestyle as your schedule permits. Prolonged sitting may pose detrimental health effects to your body and may cause diseases to develop over time.
You have to introduce more activity into your daily routine if you really want a 360-degree lifestyle change. Even though you have to sit down for long hours to finish your job, it doesn’t mean that you can’t inject activity and movement in your daily routine.
Things to Do to Fix a Sedentary Lifestyle
Admit it. In this day and age of technology is amazing that we can get everything in an instant and at our convenience. But because it’s easily accessible, technology has made most of us adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. We move less and sit more that although we might not notice, has been affecting our health now and possibly in the future. This inactivity significantly contributes to the obesity epidemic.
This shouldn’t be taken lightly. People who sit for long hours every day pose themselves to a higher risk of developing a heart and circulatory disease, as well as diabetes, research points out. We listed down some tips that will help you stay active throughout the day.
1. Use given opportunities to stand instead of sitting.
We know sitting can be relaxing but you also have to be mindful of your health. Be mindful of the moments when you can stand instead of sit or have sit-stand reminders on your phone. You could stand up for a few minutes while watching TV, present in meetings, working at your desk, or browsing the internet. An increasing number of businesses have been introducing standing desks in their offices. Studies show that this type of desk can reduce stress among employees and make them more productive, which is beneficial to you if you are an employer. FlexiSpot is one ergonomic company that has a number of standing desk options for your perusal.
Statistics tells us that people who want to maintain their energy levels should move around every 90 minutes. Manage your resources to keep your mind fresh and efficient. Take a break and go outside the garden. Walk around. Climb up and go down the stairs. Do some push-ups and plans on your lunch break. Cook a meal.
2. Schedule productive time.
You might have become sedentary for a long time already that you’ve eliminated movement in daily chores and activities. For example, instead of cooking meals, you buy a ready-to-eat offer and heat it for dinner. Get rid of this routine and take time to learn a new recipe. The Internet is a treasure trove of recipes that could help you create the meal of your dreams. It is now your chance to prepare a nutritious meal from scratch. You may also want to take an online fitness class. It may be a dance class, a livestream of a Zumba session, or free workout videos you may access anytime. You could also make use of your time to finish household chores or walk in your neighborhood (following COVID-19 health protocols, of course). There are a hundred more activities out there that you could do to keep you active and moving.
3. Do not stare at a computer screen for long hours by frequently taking breaks.
There’s nothing wrong with taking micro-breaks; it can even help boost productivity. You want to get your blood flowing and circulating so stand up, stretch, and walk around. Sometimes, when you’re too busy at work, the tendency is to forget. Set an alarm so that you won’t forget to take a stretch break. You may also try some standing yoga poses such as squats, lunges, wall push-ups, and planks. All these exercises could get your blood pumping; it’s easy to do if you work at home but you could also do it at a quiet corner in the office. When watching TV, a good reminder to stand up is commercial breaks. At work, do not stare at your computer screen for long hours and have regular intervals. Stand up and get some water. Go outside for a little while and walk around. Message a colleague. Aside from putting a reminder on your phone, stick post-it notes to your computer screen to remind you to take a screen break.
4. Upgrade your workstation to meet your needs
Switching to a standing desk will reap you a lot of benefits. As mentioned, FlexiSpot has a wide array of standing desks to choose from. There is also another ergonomic furniture available on the site. You may also use an under-desk treadmill or sit on a fitness ball from time to time—the latter promoting "active sitting" which engages your core.
A height adjustable desk is perfect to switch from sitting to a standing position while working. You can do some of your regular computer work while standing up.
5. Add seated exercises to your work routine.
There are exercises you could do while sitting. You may interlock your fingers, turn your palms out, stretch your arms, and rotate the shoulders and spine. This will take just a few minutes of your time.
Negative Effects that of Living a Sedentary Lifestyle
Many people have picked up on the bad health effects of a sedentary lifestyle. This type of lifestyle is linked to different cultures and is common in many countries as causing chronic health problems.
Prolonged sitting is known to cause health issues including obesity and metabolic syndrome, disorders characterized by high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the hips, and high cholesterol levels.
There are many conditions that your body can experience while living a sedentary lifestyle. We listed down below what these experiences could be:
1. Because you move a lot less and burn few calories from what you eat, there is a high likelihood that you will gain weight.
2. You may lose muscle strength and stamina because your muscles are not in use.
3. The bones may weaken and lose mineral material.
4. You might harm your metabolism causing your body to find it difficult to break down fats and sugars.
5. You might not notice visible damages but your immune system may not be functioning properly which might mean that blood supply is not working at its normal level.
Conclusion
Start slowly but surely. Ease into adding movement and activity into your life, especially if you have been inactive for a long time. By being consistent, you will be able to increase the amount of exercise you do. The more exercises you do, the better. But if you can’t do a lot, for now, don’t be overwhelmed. Doing something is better than not doing anything. Just do your best and you’ll eventually get to the level that you want. The goal should be to get the recommended amount of exercise for your age and health.
There are various ways of exercising. It is necessary to a layout which ones are right for you. Remember there are many ways to incorporate movement into your life in subtle ways, wherever you work.
