John Jowers, DPT, highlights the need for incorporating fitness into office routines to prevent sedentary lifestyle injuries, offering easy desk-based exercises and mindfulness techniques to foster a healthier work environment.

As a Physical Therapist I frequently treat people who have sustained injuries in their home or office workstations. The pandemic has certainly made that situation more common but the effects might not be immediately noticeable. I hope the information in this article will help you – whether or not you are currently in pain. Take notes, take it to heart and make a few changes in your own life as well as pass the knowledge on to your coworkers, friends and loved ones.

In a 1967 Wall Street Journal article, it was predicted that computers and robots would allow our forty hour work week to condense down to a twenty hour work week, giving us more time to spend in leisure with our families and friends. Their prediction was dead wrong! Even though we now have digital assistants that make our lives easier, the result has been that most of us work even longer hours because we are plugged in 24/7.

And with the increase in automation, it is easier to be sedentary. OK but maybe we can solve that by standing desks? Great intention, but still prevents being socially engaging, getting your heart rate up, and your muscles from being loaded with resistance, among many other issues.

I acknowledge there are plenty of professions that have the opposite issue, too much movement, and sometimes too much in odd positions. Like construction, auto mechanics, farmers, electricians, etc. But for the most part, the majority of us in the modern era have mostly sedentary jobs, which is what this article is geared toward. But don’t stop reading just because you’re in a more active profession – some of these principles apply to you, too.

Hadzabe tribe: There’s groups of tribal Tanzanian people called Hazda who are hunter-gatherers that is mostly uninfluenced by the western world.

Make a guess in the chat box. To eat, the men generally hunt and the women generally gather berries, tubers, and honey. You wouldn’t believe how much time they spend sitting compared to us in America.

Hours of time are invested in tutorials, videos, and books of proper ergonomics. That’s all good, but the research is in: [squat picture] move! Don’t let the workspace dictate what your body does; you dictate it!

Work out at work!

For those of you who do work out regularly, HIIT training has been very popular over the past few years, but be warned of the danger behind them. When we tend to be sedentary for 8 to 10 hours per day and then lump all of our activity into just one single hour where we do our HIIT workout, injury becomes more likely. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that folks in that group are exercising; it’s better than not exercising at all. But the most ideal thing to do is to spread movement and activity out throughout the day.

But Dr. John, HIIT training burns fat better and faster than moderate intensity training. Yes, the research behind the difference of the two is true. But the goal is long-term health, even if you have a goal in the short term to lose weight.

[fitbit graphs] The key is don’t look flat like this. Get spikes like this one.

Word of caution: I do hope this inspires you and/or your company to start a fitness program and lifestyle, but please do so with a reasonable amount of activity. A principle to abide by: gradual ramping up in total activity. If you jump in too much too soon too fast, injury is possible

4-square breathing: As important as it is to get your heart rate up, rest is equally important. Spend 8 minutes doing deep meditative breathing. Let’s all try a 4-square breathing technique. Where you’re at right now, lie or sit back completely relaxed, letting the weight of your body sink into the chair or floor completely. Heavy arms, heavy legs. Now draw and imaginary square in your head as you breathe. Take 4 seconds to draw a straight line up, Hold your breath in for 4 seconds as you draw a horizontal line across. Exhale 4 seconds, line down.

Physical exercises:

• Squats
• Desk push-ups
• Chair dips
• Windmills
• Shadow boxing

Tips:

• AirPods or wireless bluetooth ear buds to allow walk & talk.
• Keep a kettlebell or dumbbell next to workstation.
• Get outside as much as possible.
• If laptop or desktop, download a timer that forces screen to black once every hour for 1 minute.
• Walking meetings.
• If walking alone, practice mindfulness.
• Join the kids in playtime.
• Incorporate others, coworkers, neighbors.
• Hold a daily whole office fitness session.
• Start or join a corporate fitness program.
• Microwave exercises (short bursts).
• Interspersed household chores into sitting time.
• Wear dress clothes that you don’t mind getting sweaty.
• Actually, plan on them getting sweaty.
• Clothes with 7-10% spandex.
• Change the workplace atmosphere to welcome sweatiness. Well, within reason of course. There’s a way to be professional and still move more.
• Build more movement into your day!
• Open forum… share and give each other ideas of how you can work out at work. Or change how you work so that there’s more movement.

Other:

• You do a lot of work on a phone, on the go, and not at a workstation, then move more!
• Nutrition: eat the rainbow.

Thank you Launch promo

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