Fitness at your desk

Fitness at your desk

Health & Lifestyle

Madhur Kohli

Madhur Kohli

383 week ago — 3 min read

Do you suffer from muscle pain because of long hours of sitting at the workplace? You are not alone and that may be the least of your worries. In a malady increasingly known as chair disease you have your nemesis. Doctors and experts are now documenting the ill effects of sitting for long periods of time.

 

A lot of us are extremely sedentary at the workplace. We sit in the same position for hours and hours and often spend some more time sitting before and after work as well. Even with a workout routine all these hours of sitting time can have a very negative impact on the body. Stiffness in the joints because of lack of blood circulation is the most common complaint. This can lead to various musculoskeletal problems and repetitive stress injuries like - cervical pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow to name a few. Over time, these conditions can become severe and chronic. It is worth noting that sitting puts twice as much pressure on your spine than standing.

 

There are other serious consequences of having a sedentary office life. Moving very little can lead to a slowdown in metabolism, reducing the amount of food that can be converted to energy. This leads to an increase in fat, obesity follows and a whole collection of illness can creep up over time - like diabetes, arthritis and problems of the heart. Sitting in your chair and getting to work right after your meal can lead to high blood sugar spikes. Getting up can reduce those spikes significantly.

The good news is that a little effort on your part can change the monotony of the daily routine for the body and make all the difference towards preserving & improving your health. Exercises that can be done sitting in your desk can move your muscles and joints. These exercises help in improving blood circulation and joint mobility.

 

Here are some upper body exercises you can do while sitting down. These exercises are simple, unobtrusive and not at all time consuming. They do not involve taking out an hour from your day to hit the gym and can make all the difference when it comes to your health.

 

The three exercises are:
1. Trapezius stretch (prevents cervical pain)
2. Forearm stretch (prevents carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow)
3. Posture correction (prevents upper-back stiffness)

 

These exercises should be done every two hours to ensure maximum benefit.

 

See the first part of the video and make the simple effort toward leading a healthier and more fulfilling work life.

 

To know more, link with me by clicking on the ‘Invite’ button on my eBiz Card.

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, official policy or position of GlobalLinker.

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