Do you find yourself sitting most of the day?
Do you sit for so long that when you finally move off of your chair, every joint in your body feels creaky and aches when you stand up?
We hear this often from our member who work remotely. They realize they’ve been seated for hours before recognizing they need to go to the bathroom, let out the dog or take a break and refill their water.
If you want to break up the amount of time you’re sitting consecutively, set a timer or alarm on your phone and begin taking breaks with a purpose.
Have a dog? Who do you think wants to go for a walk? Take your dog out for 15-30 minutes and the time outside walking will be as good for you as it is for them. Do this twice a day if it fits your schedule, dog or no dog.
Do you have stairs in your house? If so, every 30-60 minutes get out of your chair and walk up and down the stairs for five minutes. This is a great way to get in your steps if you work remotely and it gets your heart rate up. Make sure you’re alternating which leg takes the next step up and down.
Do you know how to do the Turkish Get Up? Even unweighted this is a super total body movement to help break up the effects of sitting all day. Try three rounds of one on each side or perform three in a row on one side and then repeat on the other side.
If improving your core strength is a priority, this is a great time to practice developing mastery with plank variations, hollow holds, hanging, crawling. A few rounds of 10-20 seconds work can make significant impact in a short period of time for the long term.
Do you do yoga, have a favorite stretch or warm up drill or breathing position? Slow and controlled breaths with nasal inhales for 3-4 seconds and mouth exhales for 4-6 can be a game changer with how your whole body moves and feels.
These short breaks in your day, or movement snacks, can take three to five minutes and will help your body feel better, move better.
Your mind will be clearer and more focused which will make your work more effective.
The greatest benefit – you’ll be happier around your family because your mood has improved and they’ll recognize that too.
Plan to move. Set your timer now.