How long have you been sitting down right now? And how long have you had that sensitive twist in your back when you turn a certain way? Exercise and mobility is something we should all be practicing on a daily basis, or at a minimum weekly. We fall into good routines, and then drop them, only to pick them up again. So, if your routine is pretty inconsistent, and you work in a job that requires you to be sedentary – how can one avoid injury through inactivity?
Posture is everything
It may feel more natural to slump, but poor posture can impact your health in the now and the future. Like anything, it is worth enlisting the advice of the experts and your South Melbourne physio will be able to survey your posture behavior and small tweaks and recommendations. This check-up will reduce pain and increase your activity level through some manageable additions to your lifestyle. It may also be worth investing in a stand-up desk and sitting in a straight back chair when watching television to start re-educating your back posture.
Start with easy exercise
That’s right. it may be time to review your daily steps and what muscles and areas of your body you are activating and how some easy exercises can work to reverse this harm. This doesn’t mean you need to join a run group or sign up to a gym, it means that you need to dedicate an allotted time of no more than 30 minutes a day. If you’re new to this, start with yoga which will get you stretching but won’t elevate your heart rate too much. Once you forge this routine you can add movements like squats and planking which combine movement with cardio and heat.
Park the car
Cars are great for getting us from A to B, but sometimes you wonder ‘could I have just walked or caught public transport?’ Our routines are so ingrained that it rarely occurs to us to keep the car parked at home, and pound the pavement instead. Commit to one day a week that you catch public transport to work and walk home. This may not be achievable for everyone, so maybe it is a case of getting off the train or tram a few steps earlier and walking a longer distance. To make it even more productive, listen to a podcast or mindfulness audio so that you are making most of the time on foot.
Roll it out
If you don’t yet have a roller, then you haven’t yet experienced the magic of muscle relief. You can use your roller while watching television, soaking up some sun outside or anywhere you can scout a flat surface. If you don’t know where to start there are a number of roller positions and videos you can follow to show you how it is done. The roller is particularly useful for getting into those spots that are harder to reach while exercising and stretching, like your inner hamstrings and lower back.
Inactivity is a sensitive topic for us corporates who work in a sedentary role. How quickly an eight-hour day blinks by, without having spent any time on our feet or stretching up those muscles that sit stiff throughout the day. We are likely this way because it ties in with our lifestyle, so make small and sustainable changes that you know you will be able to continue without having to change your entire life.