Over the past 50 years especially, we have seen a lot of activity with new inventions, new records, new ideas… But we have also seen the rise of a large lack of activity when it comes to workplaces and recreation. Western society has prioritized sitting by introducing more content on the internet and electronics. As much as some of us love our sitcoms, it would do us a lot better if we invested more of our time into standcoms. Excess time sitting can have some negative effects on our health and we would serve ourselves better if we got up to move around a little more often.
A good rule to live by that has also been suggested to me by my optometrist is to take 30 seconds every 30 minutes to give your body a break. What they suggest is that after every 30 minutes that you spend on a computer, you should focus on an object 30 feet away and then stare and blink at it for 30 seconds. To take this a step further, it is also suggested that you get up and move around every 30 minutes that you are sitting. So why not combine these two exercises and tick them off the list at the same time?
Doing this can help you to avoid your muscles from staying tight for too long. We tend to choose to sit for many different activities that we could otherwise spend a few minutes standing for, take Watching TV, using our phones, working on a laptop, reading… For example. These are good opportunities to stretch out a little and give your body a some of the motion that it desires, but why just stop there? It is a good habit to incorporate exercises like pushups, planks, crunches… into your routine at work or wherever else you find yourself able. While many of us find ourselves quite busy with the work routine, building these habits can be very beneficial and help to give you some form of activity to look back at when the end of the day comes (because it’s not everyday that one can squeeze a walk in at lunch!).