FITNESS MOVES

aware in the chair

Try these quick moves throughout the day to break up sitting time.

by Robert Powell, Ph.D., CEP, CSCS, CDE

Staying active is hard when you have a job or lifestyle that requires hours of sitting. Too much sitting is associated with poor health and reduces muscle strength and flexibility. Plus, when you have diabetes, too much sitting time reduces insulin sensitivity, which negatively impacts blood sugar control. Fortunately, simply breaking up sitting time can improve your diabetes management, research says. In fact, the American Diabetes Association now recommends breaking up sitting time every 30 minutes to help manage blood sugar levels. Follow these on-the-job training tips to help manage yours. For best results, perform each activity every day or alternate activities different days of the week. (Note: These activities are not considered a replacement for additional structured exercise regimens.)

Better Work Flow

Improve your overall health by simply getting up from your chair and walking around the office.

How to Do It Step away from the desk and spend a minimum of 3 minutes walking around the office, outside the building, or in the parking lot. This can be done in a longer session (10 minutes or more) or in accumulated bouts (3 minutes or more) throughout the day.

Benefits Improves blood flow, lowers blood sugar, lowers blood pressure, and burns calories.

Mindful Tips Walk to a specific point and back. Too busy? Use this time to drop off documents or have a walking meeting. Make getting out of your chair to perform a daily task your new habit.

Progression Increase the amount of times per day that you get up and move from your desk. Use a pedometer or tracking device to challenge yourself with a progressive step goal.

Solid Work Support

Improving lower-body strength is vital to support daily activities. Make getting in and out of your chair easier with body-weight squats.

How to Do It If desired, use your desk, office doorway, or wall for extra stability. Use your chair as a depth guide by slightly lowering and touching your chair (be careful that the chair does not move out from under you). A) Stand straight with your feet slightly wider than hip width apart. Keep your back rigid. Bend at the knees and hips; lower until you start to feel your heels raise, your back round, or your thighs are parallel to the floor. Stop sooner if you feel pain or instability. B) Next, extend your hips and knees at the same time to return to standing. Hold your arms out in front of you to help with balance and keep your chest from dropping forward. Repeat 10 times or as many times as you can (repetitions). Pause for 1 minute and repeat the sequence (set). Do 1–3 sets.

Benefits Improves muscular strength and endurance in the major leg muscles (butt, hips, and thighs), which increases ability to do daily tasks.

Mindful Tips Breathe as you raise up. If your knees or back hurt near the lowest depth, stay just above that point of pain.

Progression Lower farther until your thighs are parallel to the floor. As you get stronger, increase the number of repetitions per set.

The Help Desk

Use your desk and work chair (if you have wheels) to strengthen your upper body.

How to Do It A) Sit with your body 1–2 inches away from the desk. Grasp the edge of your desk with both hands (palms up if your desk is lower than your elbows; palms down if higher). Push your body away from the desk until your arms are fully extended. B) Return to start by pulling your body back toward the desk. Repeat until too tired to perform full movements. Rest for 1 minute and repeat. Do 1–3 sets.

Benefits Improves muscular strength and endurance in the upper body. Pushing works the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pulling works the back and biceps and improves grip strength.

Mindful Tips Feel yourself push with your chest and triceps as you extend your elbows; conversely, engage your back by pulling your shoulder blades together as you pull forward.

Progression Increase the amount of times (repetitions) you perform each set. Increase the speed of movement.

The Tight Agenda

Sitting a majority of the day can cause tight muscles and limit range of motion. To help preserve flexibility, perform the following exercises.

How to Do It Stretch the lower back and the back of your hips and thighs. A) If sitting, stick your legs straight out in front of you. If standing, start with feet together and flat on the floor. Slide your hands down the front of your thighs until you feel a slight stretch in the backs of your legs or lower back. Hold for 20 seconds and slowly return to start. Do this stretch 3 times.

B) Sit tall in your chair (or stand tall) and gaze forward. Stretch your arms over your head and interlock your fingers, reaching as high as you can (stretching the shoulders, arms, and spine). Lean slightly left, then right, and then slightly back (extend the lower back). Hold each position for 20 seconds. Do this stretch 3 times.

Benefits Stretches the muscles that are affected while slouching in a chair with your knees and hips constantly in a flexed position.

Mindful Tips Make sure you’re stable when standing. Only stretch to slight discomfort to avoid overstretching and injury. Remember to breathe regularly.

Progression Hold the positions longer or perform more sets.

no wheeled chair?

You can do wall push-ups to work your chest. Also, work your back by grasping the inner part of a door frame, leaning slightly back, and pulling your body toward the door. Breathe out while you push away from the wall; breathe in while you pull forward from the door.