Sit at a Desk All Day? Getting Exercise Is Worth Standing Up For
Tom and Dian Griesel, co-authors of TurboCharged, a rapid fat-loss and wellness book due for release in mid-March share exercise tips for those whose jobs require sitting at a desk for extended periods, as well as those who spend lots of time watching TV or surfing the Internet.
New York, NY (Vocus/PRWEB) January 22, 2011
The American Cancer Society, the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, the Journal of the American Heart Association, the Australia-based Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and even the Canadian government are all sounding the alarm on the health problems that result from too much sitting. Many studies are coming to the same conclusion: Sitting can be hazardous to your health!
Tom and Dian Griesel are the co-authors of TurboCharged, a rapid fat-loss and wellness book due for release in mid-March. Reflecting the verdict on excessive sitting, they have plenty of exercise tips for those whose jobs require sitting at a desk for extended periods, as well as those who spend lots of time watching TV or surfing the Internet.
“All of these studies point out that sitting is a form of inactivity, which has many adverse effects on our physiology,” says Tom. “During prolonged sitting, one’s whole body just slows down. Our bodies are not designed for inactivity but for complex, whole-body movement. According to Elin E. Bak, researcher for the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, ‘Lack of whole-body muscular movement [is] strongly associated with obesity, abnormal glucose metabolism, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease risk and cancer.’”
“If you sit all day, even if you find time to exercise 40 to 60 minutes four to six days per week, you are still a couch potato and at risk,” adds Dian. “Studies are showing that the effects of sitting are independent of exercise, and might even counter some of exercise’s beneficial effects. According to Marc Hamilton, a professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Missouri, ‘Chair time is an insidious hazard because people haven’t been told it is a hazard.’”
The good news, say Tom and Dian, is that some type of movement every 20 to 40 minutes, even for as little as one minute, is all that is needed to remedy the effects of sitting. In fact, standing up burns 60 more calories per hour than sitting and seems to counter the latter’s effects. Using the stairs instead of the elevator is another excellent choice. In TurboCharged, the Griesels outline a simple program of increased activity and one-minute exercises which, along with other steps, are designed to increase health, vitality and fat-loss even if one has a desk job. Below is a list of steps that anyone can incorporate into their day. As employers become aware of the benefits of regular movement during the workday, mini-movement breaks may become a job requirement.
Suggested Exercise List for Those With Desk Jobs:
1) Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
2) Stand up as often as possible, such as when talking on the telephone.
3) Body Weight Squats: Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides or out in front of you. Bend your knees, bringing your rear end down as if sitting in a chair. Rise to standing and repeat. Taking breaks as needed, do this 20 to 60 times or as many as you are able to do in a minute.
4) Lunge: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and take a step forward, lower down trying to touch your rear knee to the floor, raise and return to starting position, and repeat with your other leg. Continue to alternate legs for 1 minute.
5) Desk or Wall Push-Up: Stand with your toes 2 to 3 feet from the desk or wall. Place your hands on the desk or wall, lower down and press back up. Start with 20 and aim to build up to 60 consecutive repetitions. This is easier than a regular push-up and a good way to start.
6) Standing Heel Lifts: With feet 6 to 12 inches apart, rise up on your toes as high as you can, then lower back down barely touching your heels to the ground. Tighten your buttocks as much as you can. Repeat for a count of 60 or as long as you can last.
7) Take short walks during scheduled breaks and lunch.
Suggestions for Chair Exercises:
1) Exhale and suck your stomach in, contracting it back toward your spine, hold tight for 5 seconds and release. Repeat 10 times.
2) Lift your legs straight in front of you, flex them and hold steady for as long as you can. Release and repeat.
3) Lift your legs straight out in front of you and cross them like a scissors alternating them top and bottom. Do as many as you can.
4) Lift your arms in front of you or to your sides, and pulse them up and down as quickly as possible for up to 1 minute.
For TV watchers, get off the couch during commercials and do push-ups, lunges or squats. This is an easy and productive habit to improve your tube time!
For more information, please visit http://www. businessschoolofhappiness. com.
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