Are office hours making you sit for too long? These 5 easy exercises will reverse the ill effects of prolonged sitting!

Rather it’d be working from home, or employees going to offices to work, their jobs most likely require them to sit in one place for too long. This is not just true for office people.

The ones driving automobiles, using public transport regularly, or spending excessive time on screen aren’t safe from the ill effects of prolonged sitting either.

One of the main risks of living a sedentary lifestyle is the slowing of metabolism, which can lead to weight gain, an increased risk of diabetes, and many other serious problems.

A recent study found out that ‘Those who sit at their desk all day should take a break every hour or so and move around to avoid sitting for too long and risking serious health problems,” the website for the American Chiropractic Association states.

This doesn’t mean you should jump up and down on a hard surface or engage in other extreme physical activities during work hours, as that could cause further damage to the body’s soft tissues.

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What are the adverse effects of sitting for too long?

Sitting for too long is the new smoking now. Below are some dangers of following such a lifestyle –

1. Increased blood pressure
2. High level of bad cholesterol
3. Higher risk for type-2 diabetes
4. Excess body fat around the waist
5. Increased risk of depression and anxiety
6. Increase in muscular imbalance leading to a musculoskeletal disorder

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How to reverse the ill effects of prolonged sitting?

No matter how long have you been cutting out on expending energy by sitting too long in a place, you can still turn things around.

To reverse the effects of prolonged sitting on muscles and reap the life a healthy lifestyle, do these 5 exercises during your working hours. Hope they won’t draw much attention to you.

1) Push-Ups:- Doing push-ups improve upper body strength & posture, and activates core muscles.

How To Do It-

• Keep A Straight Back And Flex The Abs.
• Place Both Of Your Hands Slightly Beside Your Shoulders on your desk
• Don’t Cheat. As You Go Up, Extend Your Arms Completely. And As You Come Down, Stretch Your Chest Fully Without Touching The Ground.

2) Seated Spine Twists:- Doing seated spine twists improves the mobility of the spine, and stretches your chest, and glute muscles. It also loosens up the thoracic and lumbal region of the back as well as activates your ab muscles.

How To Do It-

• Firstly, sit upright on your chair with your both feet resting on the ground.
• Slowly place your right hand on the right side backrest, and place your left hand on your right thigh.
• Then, rotate your body from your torso until your left shoulder is in line with your right thigh and your eyes are on your right shoulder. Repeat on the other side.

3) Seated knee pull-ins:- Doing the seated knee pull-ins strengthens your oblique muscles and spinal erector muscles. Along with this, it improves body posture and reduces back pain.

How To Do It-

• Sit straight in a chair without resting your back on the backrest of the chair and hold the armrest of the chair.
• Activate your abdomen muscles and straighten both legs parallel to the floor.
• Keep your feet together, and bend both knees toward your body.
• Consciously try activating your abdominal muscles. Repeat for reps.

4) Chair Squats:- Doing the chair squats strengthen your whole lower body muscles and improve the flexibility of your hip and knee joint.

How To Do It-

• Stand one step away from your chair.
• Your feet should be placed at a shoulder-wide distance and your toe should be pointing slightly outwards.
• Bearing your body weight on both your ankle joints, bend your hip and knees degrees like you are going to sit on a chair.
• Hold the position for 5 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.
• Keep in mind, your back shouldn’t cave in and your knees must point outwards at all times.

5) Heel Raise:- Doing the heel raises strengthens your calves’ muscles, which in turn improves circulation, especially in the population with chronic vein diseases. Not only this, but it also increases ankle stability.

How To Do It-

• Stand straight with your legs being distanced at shoulder level, and hold your chair or desk for support.
• Slowly raise your heel until your toes are resting on the floor.
• Hold the position for 3-5 seconds and lower your heel slowly to the floor. Repeat for reps.

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What are some other ways to reduce the dangers of sitting for too long?

The only way to deal with prolonged sitting is by being more active throughout the day. Follow the tips below to have a better understanding –

• Instead of taking a lift, climb the stairs at the office.
• Don’t think while sitting in your chair. Take a walk to brainstorm ideas.
• Leave the car or bike at home when going to a nearby location. Instead, opt for walking or cycling.
• If you use a mode of public transport, don’t use the seat. Rather, stand for most of the way.
• Set a time limit on how long you should be staring at the screen watching Netflix or Amazon Prime.

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Also Read: 5 Exercises You Need To Start Doing ASAP!

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