Sit Less, Move More
By Omid Khanzadeh
Sitting for long periods of time isn’t good for your body and your overall health, yet more and more of us find ourselves sitting throughout the day. We sit on the couch, we sit behind the wheel, and we sit at our desks. Sitting for prolonged periods of time has become such a daily occurrence in our lives that we forget how much we’re doing it and how much it affects our backs, necks, shoulders, and even our butts—and that’s not to mention if you slouch.
If you’re trying to find ways to move more and sit less, then read on and learn what you can do to better your health.
Pay Attention to Your Posture
There are many small things you can do that will help you out in the long run, one is paying attention to your posture. Having great posture is important so always try to sit up straight and don’t slouch. We all slouch but what’s important is that you catch yourself slouching and to immediately fix your posture. Bad posture has long-term effects on your neck and back, but there are other surprising risks of poor posture. For instance, it can cause poor balance, headaches, and breathing difficulties. Slouching also puts pressure on your abdomen, which can force stomach acid in the wrong direction and trigger heartburn.
If you drive a lot, adjust your car seat so it’s more upright so your posture doesn’t become compromised. If you work behind a desk, make sure your chair is comfortable and you’re sitting at eye level with your computer screen so you’re not putting additional strain on your neck and back. Your chair might be contributing to your back pain, so consider purchasing a lumbar cushion or better yet, an ergonomic chair. These chairs are specifically designed to keep your spine in line, which means less stress to your back, hips, and neck.
Move at Work
To incorporate more movement into your day consider standing up and stretching every half hour or so. If you need a helpful reminder, set an alarm to help you remember to stop staring at the screen and to move. You can touch your toes, do some stretches, walk around the office or your apartment, or even stand at your desk for part of the day. Consider even standing at your desk during meetings. One thing that I like to do is keep a yoga mat by my home office desk. On the days that I have some downtime, I roll out the yoga mat and do some quick stretches.
If you have the bandwidth, take a walking break during your lunch. You can take your phone with you while you walk around your neighborhood or to the local coffee shop. Cooking your own lunch or dinner is another way to get on your feet and to stay active during the day. Other ways to break your sedentary routines are eating while standing up (if possible) and standing on the train instead of sitting. Integrating more movement into your work schedule can have enormous health benefits in the long run.
Give Your Eyes and Hands a Break Too
As a writer, I not only sit a lot, but I use my hands a lot. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common thing for those who are always typing, sitting playing video games, and even gripping the steering wheel, so be sure to relax your hands as well. Stress balls and Baoding balls are great for hand exercises and help improve finger dexterity, so keep a few around your desk. A full-body massage is also a wonderful way to relax and address muscular problems. If you do get a massage, be sure to tell your massagist to focus on your fingers, shoulders, and arms.
Research has shown that high levels of screentime, whether sitting and scrolling on your phone or working on your computer, has been associated with greater obesity and higher depressive symptoms. Prolonged periods behind a screen can also have severe implications for your eyes. The brightness of the display can overtax already tired eyes. A healthier way to deal with screens is by setting limits. For example, don’t overload the number of screens by being on your phone while watching TV. You can also limit the number of screens you use while you eat and not use your phone while in bed. Like most people, I use my phone as an alarm clock. However, I know I’ll want to watch YouTube videos before I go to sleep, so I keep my phone across the room to help fight my urge to check different social media sites. Another way to halt this habit is to buy an alarm clock or have your phone in another room while you sleep.
If you need extra motivation, try to bolster your self-control with apps like Pause, StayFocused, and Freedom. These apps block distracting websites to help you work more effectively. Freedom is a favorite of mine because it’s an all-in-one distraction blocker that blocks websites, mobile apps, desktop apps, or the entire internet. Freedom is also the only one of its kind as it syncs blocks across all your devices.
Changing one’s sedentary lifestyle can seem daunting. Start with small changes and soon you will feel the difference.
