Sitting at a desk for long periods of time, on a regular basis, is actually quite bad for your health. It can cause all kinds of health problems in the long term, and as such, it’s important to take steps to be more variable in your lifestyle.
And if you’re someone who’s had to work from home recently, and you’ve been sitting down a lot and using a computer, we’ve got some tips for you. To make your day to day routine a bit more healthy, here’s a few thoughts on how to stay active when you’re mostly stationary.
Sit in the Right Way
The first thing you need to do, when you work at a desk a lot, is ensure you’re sitting right and have a good posture. Don’t worry, we all slouch, but if we let ourselves slouch for too long, we could very well damage our lower spine and the muscles in our backs.
It’s why a posture reminder app is a good thing to download – it’ll check in every now and then to remind you to sit up and put your shoulders back. Similarly, you may want to invest in an ergonomic chair that forces you to sit right even when you’re a chronic sloucher, or you may even want to invest in some lumbar support cushions that’ll help you to sit up straight in the most comfortable way possible.
Stand Up
You’re also going to need to stand up more often when you’re sitting at a desk. If you’re there for 8 hours or more, you’re definitely going to need to use your legs at frequent times throughout the day! Even just standing up and pacing around a little, for 5 minutes every couple of hours, could do wonders for your body as a whole.
And if this doesn’t sound like enough, or you’re going for a more dramatic change in your current routine, you could always invest in the idea of ‘deskercise’. This is the art of stretching when you’re at a desk, especially if you’re experiencing pain while sitting or using a computer.
Don’t Over Snack
Of course, when you’re sitting around for most of the day, it makes sense you’re going to reach for a packet of chips or some candy to get you through. After all, snacking is a big part of life, and it’s just fine when it’s done in moderation.
But when you’re working away at a desk for the majority of the day, there’s a very good chance you could overindulge. And when you do that, you cut out the chance to have healthy, portion appropriate meals that are full of the right nutrition. Not only could you put on more weight than you want to, but you could also lose out on the vitamins and minerals that help you to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Do you spend a lot of time at a desk? Make sure it’s not playing havoc with your body!
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