Resources - Fitness

Limber up at work

If you spend long hours sitting at your desk or driving through traffic, you would be familiar with the feeling of stiff neck muscles or a sore lower back. Remaining in the same position for extended periods of time causes muscles to tense in a fixed or awkward position. This static work increases the pressure on nerves and shortens muscles. This creates muscle imbalances leading to tension and injury. For years we have been told to participate in 30 minutes of exercise each day and our health will benefit. However, a study looking at more then 8000 people published in the journal Diabetes Care found that 30 minutes of exercise a day is not enough to prevent obesity and diabetes in people who also spend long periods of time being sedentary. The good news is though, if we break up our sitting time with a simple walk around the office, we are more likely to increase our metabolic rate and reduce our risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

With growing evidence about the negative consequences of living a sedentary lifestyle, it’s important for us to be as active as we can in our everyday lives. Thinking of movement as an opportunity towards better health, rather than an inconvenience, can motivate you to include more incidental physical activity into your day. Walking to the printer or visiting a colleague, as well as spending a few minutes each hour to stretch out your body, can help reduce muscle tension and promote easier movement.

Keep limber at work by including these exercises into your working day:

1. Standing back curl: Standing up, place your hands in the small of your back. Slowly lean backwards until you feel a slight stretch. Keep your knees slightly bent. Hold the stretch for five seconds and repeat ten times.

2. Get up more: Take every opportunity to stand up and walk. Walk to the printer, to the water cooler, to the bathroom, to visit a work colleague or even volunteer to do the office coffee run. It’s a great way to stretch out your legs, manage your shape and control your blood glucose and triglyceride levels.

3. Side Stretch: Interlace your fingers and lift your arms above your head. Palms should be pointing to the ceiling. Keeping your elbows straight, slowly lean to the left and hold for 10 seconds. Slowly bring yourself back to the starting point and then lean to the right. Repeat five times each side.

4. Shoulder roll: Stand with both arms by your side. Roll your shoulders forward, before lifting them up towards your ears. Next, roll your shoulders backwards and down, as if you are trying to put your shoulder blades into jean pockets. Complete five continuous circles forward and then repeat in the opposite direction.

5. Head roll: In a standing position, lower your head towards your chest. Slowly roll your head to the right, then to the back (so you are looking at the ceiling), to the left and then back to your chest. Repeat five times to the right, and then repeat five times in the opposite direction.