If you have an office job that keeps you sitting for nearly eight or nine hours per day, often by hour four you are starting to feel the effects.
Fatigue sets in, your body may start to grow restless and you may also find that your focus and concentration takes a turn for the worse. Sitting all day is not only frustrating mentally for most people, but it can, over time, really do your body harm.
Those who are sitting for an extended period of time each day are going to be at a higher risk for a number of conditions including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, as well as diabetes.
Fortunately, there are things that you can do counteract this effect. While it will take a bit of effort on your part, it’s well worth it. You’ll not only feel much better as you go about your day but you’ll come to find that over time, you will experience fewer health woes as well.
Let’s give you some quick tips on how to survive sitting all day long.
Set A Timer
The first way to survive sitting for so long is to not sit. That’s right. Set a timer on your desk to go off once every hour. When it does, get up and move around. Walk to get a glass of water, take a trip to another floor to use the bathroom, or simply go talk to a co-worker rather than email them.
Even if it’s just for three to five minutes, getting up and moving around will do you a world of good. This can help to decrease joint stiffness and boost circulation, giving you more energy throughout the day.
Head Out Over Lunch
Another smart move is to set a date with a co-worker and head out for a brisk walk over lunch. Most people will get 30, if not 60 minutes for lunch, which is more than enough to get a few kilometers in. You might even use it as part of the C25K – 5K trainer program.
Remember that even walking will help improve cardiovascular health and will then make running feel that much easier.
The brisk walk at lunch will also invigorate you, allowing you to come back to your desk after lunch feeling far more focused and ready to get work done.
Consider A Standing Desk
Another popular option that’s hit the market recently to consider is a standing desk. These desks now allow you to adjust the height of them so that you can easily go from a seated to standing position without a problem.
For those who simply can’t leave their desk, this is one of the best solutions to use. While standing is not as good as walking is, it’s definitely a step above sitting.
And, if you have the budget for it, you might even consider a treadmill desk that will allow you to walk (slowly) as you work. This is great for those who can’t fit in time to exercise and who are serious about avoiding sitting all day long.
Stretch Every Few Hours
It’s also important to make an effort to stretch every few hours. All that sitting can lead to tense and tight muscles, which could then put you at risk for an injury down the road.
Every break that you get, take a chance to perform stretching for five to ten minutes for all the major muscle groups. This will help keep you more limber and also help improve your exercise performance later on when you go do a workout session.
Try A Trainer
Finally, you might also consider trying one of the many running trainer apps. For instance, try the Abs Trainer or the Push-ups Trainer. These exercises can easily be done in the comfort of your office so are a great way to help strengthen your muscle groups.
Or bring a pair of workout shoes and consider doing the Legs workout Trainer . Don’t underestimate what can be done in the comfort of your own office when you have a few moments of down time. If you can’t hit the gym, simply bring the gym to you.
So there you have a few tips on what you can do to avoid the negative impacts of sitting all day long. You likely can’t change your job to one that has you more active, so simply take steps to deal with the one that you have.
