Sitting
is not designed to be a stillness activity. Our body is not intended to remain
still, but to constantly move. There is currently a great deal of interest in
the negative effects of prolonged sitting, because lack of movement far
outweighs the balance in a healthy lifestyle. In other words, we are doing TOO much sitting and not enough active movement that benefits our heart and
our skeletal joints.
Here are 10 tips to stop you from sticking
to your seat in prolonged sitting:
Start your day with some yoga stretching.
Put your hands in the prayer position in front of you. Bring your finger tips
towards you, stretching your hands up and out into a wide arc that brings them
back to the prayer position. If you synchronize your breath with this exercise,
then you will feel calmer and ready to face movement within your sitting
position.
1) Always remember to sit on your pelvic bones
with your ankles, knees and hips at a 90 degree angle. Put one hand under one
pelvic bone and then repeat the other side, move your back until you feel the
full weight of your spine on your hands. Remove your hands and this is how your
back should be positioned in the relaxed hold. This is your "relaxed
hold" for safe sitting.
Lean forward and sit up, so that you can
feel the extension of the spine. (Remember to breathe in at the same time) Now
relax your back on to your pelvic bones. whilst breathing out. You should start
to feel the difference in these two positions, as you feel the mechanics
working between two positions.
Always dress for comfort, but also for
exercise when sitting. Remove those high heeled shoes and have a comfortable
pair of flat shoes available, so that your feet remain flat on the floor. It is
preferable to wear trousers, especially when you need widen your base, so that
you can exercise with decency in the office!
Start by creating an active workstation, so
that nothing is convenient any more. It means making tasks more complex, so
that you have to move around, rather than stay in one place for convenience.
2)
Start by moving your telephone to the other side of your desk, so that you have
to get up and walk around the desk to answer it. The try taking or making calls
while standing up.
3) Now move your
wastepaper basket to the other side of the room, so that you have to stand up
and move over to its location, before putting the waste inside.
4) Your feet need
the most exercise, because the blood that is in your peripheral vessels are
working against gravity to the heart, for obtaining more oxygen. By exercising
your ankles and feet with movement, the muscles are helping the blood be pumped
back to the heart for more oxygen. If your feet are swollen, then you MUST to
do more exercise, to get rid of the build-up of fluid in your feet.
5) Place materials
on the floor that you are currently using, so you’re forced to bend over and
pick them up. This will exercise your pelvis and create more flexibility in the
hips. Remember to keep your feet apart for balance.
6) Create movement
breaks as often as you are able, at least every 15-30 minutes Stand up and
rearrange your clothing, or just take a walk around your desk.
7) Place other material on the top of a tall
shelf, so that you have to reach to obtain them.
8) Set a beep on your watch for you to
move every 15 minutes. Visit a bathroom on another floor, so that you need to
climb stairs, walk to the refreshment area for a drink, visit a colleague, or
just simply walk.
9) Make a point of standing up when someone
visits you, creating a new form of courtesy!
10) Lift one pelvic bone and then the other
when sitting. This allows you to move in to another position, by strengthening
the core muscles in your pelvic region.
Enjoy your active sitting experience!
SUMMARY
Sitting
has become hazardous to our health, because it involves no active movement. Our
body is designed to constantly move, so here are 10 tips to change that limited
sedentary sitting with limitless active movement into your active sitting
lifestyle.
