Sick of sitting?

Back to work and already sick of sitting? 

How nice is it to be off work?! Spending your days walking more and lazing around; but mainly not staring at a computer for hours on end! I think once we’re into the year, you don’t notice as much just how long we are sitting everyday, and how crappy it actually makes us feel. But, this is one time of year where you do notice the impact of sitting all day. I’ve had a number of patients say to me, over the past two weeks, how much better they felt, simply because they aren’t sitting all day at work.  

This moment now is an opportunity. You are in a moment where you can actually notice the negative impact sitting has for your body. Instead of slipping into the stiff, achy, sore cycle of daily sitting; notice the freedom and mobility you have at the moment, and how that makes you feel. You have an opportunity to maintain your current feelings of freedom, mobility, and a happy body. Listen to your body through the day and at the end of the day. 

The more you vary your position while at the computer, the better. Sit, stand, lay on your front, lay on your side, sit with one leg crossed over, sit with the other crossed over. You have so many options that can trick your body into thinking that you’re on the move! You might be surprised a physio is suggesting you lay on your side, or sit with your legs crossed. There is nothing wrong with these positions; simply that you may not be comfortable for as long as you will sitting upright and supported. Maybe you spend 20 minutes sitting upright and supported before changing your posture, and after 5 minutes with your left leg crossed over you need to change again, fine. Great, in fact. Your body just moved a bunch more than it would have if you were trying to persist and hold a supposed “correct” posture. Let your body move around.  

And that’s just computer time. If you’re on the phone, stand and walk around (I have a weird habit of weeding while I’m on the phone to people 🤣).  

What’s wayyyyy more important though, is actual exercise. Making (not finding) time for daily movement is crucial to your body feeling good. Variety is ideal; walk, swim, run, gym, Pilates, yoga, golf, surf, climb. If you want to make your body feel consistently good, and it’s hard to beat getting stronger and moving more.  

It’s obviously not easy to make time within a busy week, but there isn’t much that should come before your own health.

So, how do you think you can move more through the day?

What extra exercise can you add into your week?