6 Physical Exercises to Combat Sedentary Lifestyle in the Office

6 Physical Exercises to Combat Sedentary Lifestyle in the Office

The sedentary lifestyle today has become a very practiced a style of life for the people. According to the WHO, 60% of the population does not perform physical exercises in their daily routine. And it is believed that this will continue to increase due to the increased use of transport, excessively comfortable life and perennial office jobs.

Sedentary life, believe it or not, increases health problems, especially weight gain, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. So here are 6 ideas to combat sedentary lifestyle. You can do these exercises in the office or at home if you do remote work.

Sitting for so long and in the same position, usually contracts the muscles of your legs; To relieve them you can do the following exercises:

1. Leg stretches

Sitting for so long and in the same position, usually contracts the muscles of your legs; To relieve them you can do the following exercises:

• Sit with a firm posture on your chair, stretch your legs and then contract them towards your abdomen, this tones the muscles of your belly. Start with sets of 25 repetitions, resting 30 seconds between each one.
• Extend your legs to the toes, move the ankles in a circular way and finally between them alternately, first the right and then the left or vice versa.

Without a doubt these two practices will loosen your muscles.

2. Arm stretches

In general, having your hands always on the keyboard, usually causes pain in the wrists or arms; but you can ease them with these stretches:

• Glue your back to the back of the chair; stretch your arms firmly forward and then up. Stay like this for about five seconds and then slowly lower them to your sides. Always remember to inhale and exhale.
• Put your hands on the desk and spread them at shoulder height, then on your same chair begin to stretch from back to front. To relax your hands, extend your arms with your interlocked fingers forward, then up, and finally behind your back. Do two sets of 20 repetitions and then increase.

Arm Stretches

3. Squats with the office chair

During office hours you can also do squats, they are excellent stretches to tone your legs. To get started, stand upright behind the chair and place your hands on the backrest. Later, with your legs apart, go down flexing your knees and then slowly return upwards.

Remember to bend your knees at a 90 ° angle and if you want to increase the difficulty you can stay half sitting for about 5 seconds and then begin to ascend. You can do the exact same thing, but leaning your back against the wall. Don't forget to tighten your buttocks when going down.

4. Use a tool (elastic tape)

At this point you should acquire an elastic band, your tape should not be too tight but not so loose. In this case you will have to take the ends of it with your hands and start to open your arms at your sides, you can do it while you have them elevated, in front of you or even with the trunk hunched to the right or left.

Another device that you can use are squash balls or tennis balls, they help to relax the joints of your fingers and hands while you massage it. In addition, they collaborate to free you from stress.

Elastic Tape

5. Walk and use the stairs

If your job involves walking from one floor to another, I recommend avoiding the elevators and starting to use the stairs, since it is not only a cardiovascular exercise, but also helps to tone the muscles of the legs and buttocks.

You can start by gradually replacing the elevator with the steps, that is, start first by going up one or two floors on foot and then take the elevator to get to your floor. As the days or weeks pass, you will end up arriving at your office using only the stairs.

6. Neck and back exercises

Finally, many times the tension and bad posture usually generate discomfort and pain in the neck and back.

• To stretch your neck, slowly flex your head back and forth, and from right to left; between each flexion counts 5 seconds. Remember not to turn your head around your neck, as you could damage your joints.
• To alleviate pain in your back, flex your trunk as if you were looking to the sides, but always keeping your legs in front. You can do it either sitting or standing, this will help keep your posture upright.

Neck Stretch

Additional tip: Have good habits

It is very important to drink water during the day, at least 8 glasses a day, this helps the best functioning of your body and also purifies your body. Replace soda and sugary drinks with a bottle of water. Be careful what you eat between meals, if you want to eat something, it should be a fruit.

Also, try to rest your eyes, so many hours in front of the laptop, they usually exhaust your eyesight, so every half hour take a look at other objects, so you can avoid irritation and headaches.

Give yourself time during your work to do these practices; They can be entertaining and help you distract yourself from work stress. Above all, do not always forget to walk, this improves blood circulation. A walk after lunch would be great!