At work, at home, traveling… Many people find themselves glued to a chair for several hours at a time throughout the day. But our body is not designed to sit for so long at a time, which ends up causing health problems that often go beyond neck stiffness and back pain, especially if the position in which we sit is not the right one. correct. In fact, sitting for a long time is a form of sedentary behavior and, therefore, reduced energy expenditure due to a prolonged sitting position.
These long sedentary periods are associated not only with physical problems but also with other problems such as poor circulation and even overweight and obesity. What’s more, some studies show that a sedentary lifestyle also has effects on the brain in the form of diseases such as anxiety and depression.
Time spent sitting has also been identified as a risk factor independent in a variety of health conditions. For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests measures to minimize this sedentary behavior.
What to do to prevent the consequences of sitting
In addition to taking care of our posture while we are sitting and not forgetting the ergonomic recommendations, as well as paying attention to our posture while we are sitting, it is important that we break with this immobile posture. Although it is not necessary to perform physical activity all at once to minimize these effects since occasional exercise can also help us, according to this research published in The Lancet. It is also corroborated by others studies which suggest that engaging in 60 to 75 minutes of moderate physical activity a day can counteract several effects of sitting.
The good news is that there are ways, by adding just small changes, that we can apply to create a much more active lifestyle, even when we are working. While a brisk walk at lunchtime to help clear our minds and a gym session after work are steps in the right direction, it’s the micro-movements we do throughout the day that can make the difference.
He general advice It is alternating sedentary time with activities that do not involve sitting, spending 50% or less of our workday sitting, trying to take short breaks every 20 or 30 minutes and getting up every two hours for at least ten minutes. How can we materialize these tips?
Move more and take active breaks
It is advisable to interrupt prolonged periods of sitting with at least one gentle activity, that is, schedule breaks during the work day to reduce physical and mental fatigue and prevent musculoskeletal injuries. Sometimes it is enough to stand up and sit down repeatedly, an easy exercise that allows us to work the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. It is enough to keep your back straight, your feet below your knees and your legs at a 90-degree angle.
Just the act of standing up and changing positions frequently already has important health benefits. There is studies which suggest that one to five minutes of light or moderate activity every 20 to 30 minutes of sitting can improve glucose metabolism.
If we find it difficult to find these times because tasks keep us busy, we can set a timer to remind us to get up, stretch, or take a short walk every hour. Something as simple as walking and going to the bathroom or fetching water, or even standing while taking a phone call, can help our blood circulate and relieve the tension that builds up when sitting.
Work standing for a few hours
Instead of placing the chair in front of the computer, we can do it standing up. It is a way to stretch your legs and move them a little while we work. To do this, we can place a high table where we can put the computer to work for a while or even to make video calls. Although it is not a solution to a sedentary lifestyle, it is a small action to combat it, but we must keep in mind that standing all day is not a panacea since it is also related to other problems.
Prioritize stairs to elevator
If we work in a multi-story building, it is highly recommended to use the stairs instead of using the elevator. Although we probably already know that climbing stairs improves our physical fitness because it helps us burn calories and strengthen muscles, there is research that links this action with a lower probability of suffering from some type of heart disease.
Specifically, experts from the European Society of Cardiology found that people who climb stairs as a form of exercise have a 24% lower risk of mortality from all causes compared to people who do not climb stairs and a 39% lower chance of dying from cardiovascular disease – heart attack, hypertension arterial and cerebrovascular accident.
Get off the bus or subway one stop early
This is another good and simple way to add exercise to our daily lives. If it is not too far we can walk or bike, instead of taking the car or bus. But even if we take public transportation, a good way to add steps to our daily routine is to get off one or two stops early.
Stretch before and after the work day
Pre-stretching helps us prepare the body to face the first hours of work and stretching after work allows us to relieve the tension that we have accumulated throughout the day and prevent injuries and muscle pain. The ones that will help us the most are neck stretches and shoulder rolls, as well as push-ups against the wall to exercise the muscles.
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