Do you know one out of four Americans spends 8 hours a day sitting? The average U.S adult spends about 6.5 hours sitting. You may be wondering why this is significant in any way. Research has correlated prolonged sitting with obesity, heart disease, and high cholesterol levels. Sitting for too long might be the reason behind you gaining weight or experiencing increased body aches.
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For many people, sitting for many hours is inevitable because of the nature of their job. If you are stuck in a cubicle or have a desk job, you cannot help but sit for a long period. This puts you at risk of a plethora of health concerns.
Here are the top ways you can make your desk job healthier.
Mini Breaks
The best way to stay active during office hours is by taking breaks. These can be five-minute breaks you take to stretch out and walk around the office a bit. This way you can get a bit of exercise. Mini breaks can also help you refocus a bit. It can be exhausting to sit in the same position for hours and stare at a screen. Therefore, set an alarm that reminds you to take a break every hour.
Ditch the Elevator
If you have the option, ditch the elevator or lift and take the stair to the floor. Climbing stairs is an excellent form of exercise. Research finds that climbing stairs can help improve cholesterol levels. Furthermore, it can help increase leg power and maintain your body weight.
Climbing stairs engages your back, leg, and, ab muscles and it requires a fair bit of joint movement as well. This increases flexibility and enhances bone strength.
Don’t Skip Workouts
When you get home, no matter how tired you are make the time to exercise. Once you establish the habit of working out, it will get progressively easier. If you have the time, try exercising first thing in the morning. It will get you energized and ready for the rest of the day.
Working out later in the day is fine as well, but make sure you do it at the same time every day. This will help you be consistent and make it a habit.
Lunch Break
Use your lunch break to get some amount of exercise. After you eat, walk a bit or stretch out. This will help burn some of the calories you intake. Make it a daily routine and ask your coworkers to join if they want to break the monotony of sitting at a desk as well.
Eat Healthy Food
Consuming fast food and sitting for hours is the recipe for disaster. It may be tempting but is terrible for your health. Try eating right by consuming homemade lunches. You can meal prep for the week so you can save time. Eating right will help you maintain weight and counter some of the bad effects of a desk job.
Get Better Back Support
The reality is, that sitting is inevitable. Bad posture and poor back support put strain and pressure on the spinal discs and muscle ligaments. This is how one gets backaches and shoulder aches after prolonged sitting. However, you can help the situation by getting an ergonomic chair with good back support.
Organize Your Desk
If you have a cluttered desk space, you may feel lazy and unproductive. Therefore, organize the items on your desk and keep them closed. This may seem like a simple and useless task but it can help you retain focus.
In Summary
Small changes like a daily five-minute walk, mini break, taking the stairs, and eating right can affect your health substantially. Sitting may seem unavoidable at a desk job but by following these tips, you can counter some of its negative effects.
