Currently, due to office work and sedentary forms of leisure such as television and video games, many people spend a large part of the day sitting down. This problem, which is beginning to be called sitting, increasingly affects a larger part of the population.
“Spending more than 6 hours sitting a day is seriously detrimental to your health. Our blood pressure increases, we gain weight, we lose bone and muscle mass and the risk of suffering from diabetes skyrockets. In addition, the position we maintain when sitting at the computer is detrimental to our joints when it is held for too long, even if we maintain a correct posture.”
To fight against all these harmful effects and combat sedentary lifestyle , it is necessary to maintain a life as active as possible. However, as it is not always easy, there are exercises that you can incorporate into your day to day to keep your body in better condition. These are very basic exercises that in most cases you can do even in the office. Most of them are basically stretching, since the joints are the ones that suffer the most after hours and hours in a chair.
1. Carpal tunnel stretch
The wrist is one of the points that suffer the most if you work sitting at a computer. To avoid injury and wrist discomfort , do these stretches once every hour to every two hours:
- Sitting, bring your palms, your forearms, and your elbows together in front of you so that your elbows are level with your chest and your hands are in front of your face.
- Without separating your hands, lower your arms slowly and opening your elbows until your wrists are level with the base of your breastbone.
- From there, project your hands forward until your arms are fully extended.
- Repeat the movement in reverse and do five reps.
2. Mobility in still
This exercise consists simply of doing as if you were walking, but staying standing, without moving. Move your arms and raise your legs emulating an energetic gait, and do it for 3 minutes for every hour you spend sitting. You can also try running without leaving the site . It will help you keep your body less stiff.
3. Seated scapular stretch
The scapular musculature is another of the great harmed by spending too many hours sitting. You can do this exercise with the help of a chair at home or in the office:
- Bring a chair to a wall so that you can sit down and put your palms on it.
- Now try to throw your back, advancing your shoulders as if you were trying to “get the hump.”
- Then reverse the movement by pushing your chest out, all while keeping your arms on the wall. Repeat it about 10 times.
4. Abs
A little tension in the rectus abdominals helps keep your entire trunk in a better posture. Find a gap between your sitting hours to put a mat on the floor and do a few sit-ups or crunches.
- Lie on your back, with your hands on your ears and your legs slightly tucked.
- Raise your chest and head slightly off the ground, without separating your lower back from it.
- Perform 10 short reps in 3 sets.
5. Back stretches
On all fours on the floor or on a mat, begin the stretch with a straight back. In the first movement to perform, try to move your chest away from the ground as much as possible, arching your back upwards like a cat when getting aggressive.
Then, reverse the movement and lower your chest without bending your elbows, seeking to accentuate the concave curve of your lower back. Repeat the movement 10 times. We also recommend doing some of the best sports to strengthen your back .
6. Mobility of knees and ankles
To also activate your lower body, stand up, with your feet together, and bend your knees forward slowly, then stretch them again and finish the movement by standing on your toes. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat the movement 10 times.
