Sitting all day long is not good for your health. So if you work in an office or any type of job where you are sitting for long periods of time, you will need to get creative.
Since I work from home, spending several hours most days of the week writing, it can be very easy to get comfortable and stay comfortable. I used to workout before I started my assignments. I figured it was better to get it out of the way but now I have changed things up.
I try to get in 30 to 40 minutes of exercise each day. But I break it down, instead of doing it all at one time. The first 10 minutes I do before I get started on the day. It helps to stretch my muscles and wake me up. Then I will work for a couple of hours and do another 10 minutes of exercise. I work for yet another two to three hours and finish up my last 10 minutes.
In the late evening I will sometimes take a walk with my husband, stretching my half hour of exercise into sometimes an hour. This way I am breaking up my day of sitting.
You may be wondering what I do in those 10 minute blocks of time. Sometimes I lift weights, run in place, put in my “Just Dance” Wii program, or do stair stepping. I change things up to keep my routine interesting.
Now of course, I realize I have the benefit of doing this from home. If you work outside of the home, you will have to get more creative. Even just getting up from time to time and taking short walks can help.
If you get a break during the day, instead of sitting down, take a walk or go up and down the stairs. Use your lunch break to get in a mini workout.
If your desk is in a cubicle or office, you could stand up and stretch or lift some small weights. It may sound silly but every little bit helps.
What ideas do you have for squeezing in exercise when you spend a lot of time sitting each day?
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Photo by Scott Cranfill in Flickr