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No matter how well your workstation is designed (and no matter how ergonomically sound it may be), the potential for problems to arise will always be present. It’s a tough reality that we have to come to terms with and find solutions for. By adding small movement breaks throughout our day, we can help mitigate these issues to a large degree. Let’s explore.

Problems With Sitting Too Much

Inactivity is a major contributor to serious adverse health outcomes—plain and simple. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying (and plenty of people will try). Despite our best intentions with supplementary exercise, we’re often fighting a losing battle if we work an office job. Training 1 hour a day is a tough bet against 23 hours of sedentary activity (office work + leisure + sleep).

• Reduction in fat metabolism & protein transport (poor fat burning & muscle building)
• Diminished carbohydrate metabolism (less effective at utilizing energy)
• Decreased cardiac output (weak heart)
• Reduced insulin sensitivity (less effective at regulating blood sugar)
• Reduced circulation of sex hormones (low libido & impaired reproductive function)

These are just some of the problems that can come about when chronic sitting becomes a part of someone’s life, through work or otherwise. Leave the above for too long, and you’re at a higher risk for or end up with…

• Hormone-related cancers (such as breast cancer & prostate cancer)
• Visceral fat (fat around your organs)
• Excessive weight gain (obesity)
• Low energy & depression
• Muscle tightness, imbalances & joint pain

All things we want to avoid. Time to turn away from the doom and gloom and look towards something better. 

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

What Is a Movement Break?

Movement breaks are short interruptions of physical activity throughout the day. The purpose of a movement break is to help counteract some of the negative effects of prolonged sitting that we’ve listed above, and promote schedules that include healthy amounts of exercise, stretching and mobility work. 

These small exercise snacks, as they’re sometimes called, are essential for anyone who is required to sit (and even stand) for 6+ hours a day. Many office workers don’t do any form of exercise outside of their sedentary job, which fires them even faster in the wrong direction. But even if you do exercise before/after work, it may not be enough in and of itself.

It’s a common justification in people’s minds that they’ll just get all their work in at the gym, and that will be enough to deal with the effects of their desk work—not exactly. While you can certainly make positive change and work in the right direction, you’re still battling long stretches of stagnancy and deconditioning that the body is more than happy to accommodate.

Some of the benefits of movement breaks include:

• Reduced muscle tension & stiffness
• Improved circulation
• Quicker & clearer thinking
• Elevated mood 
• Higher stress tolerance

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

ReverseSit: Mobility for Desk Workers

Our programming here at ReverseSit has been designed to help you unwind the effects of office work, regain your physical freedom, and eliminate the pain and negative health issues that come with prolonged sitting. One of the ways we do that is through at-your-desk movement break routines that can be done from the comfort of your work area and at any time throughout the day.

We’ve included one below for you to try! You can do it right after reading this article. If you like how it makes you feel, you should try signing up for a 7-day free trial on our platform. You’ll gain access to all of our office worker content to start living a healthier, pain-free life today! We’ll see you there!

QUICK FIX: At Your Desk Routine

No warm up required! Follow the instructions for each movement and perform them in the sequence listed below.

Seated Side Angle

Instructions:

• Position yourself on the edge of your seat with one leg bent to 90° and the other stretched straight out to the side
• Bend sideways towards your bent leg, resting the same-sided arm on your knee
• You should start to feel a stretch on the inner thigh of your outstretched leg; you can hold here if it’s comfortable
• Otherwise, you can reach your free arm up towards the ceiling, opening the chest and side of the torso (pictured)
• Hold your end position for 20 seconds
• Switch sides and repeat

Seated March

Instructions:

• Sit on the edge of your chair with your spine straight and legs positioned at 90°
• Place your hands on the side of your chair for support
• Bring one knee up into the air, flexing the hip
• Squeeze your hip flexor muscles and core, pausing at the top for a split second
• Lower your leg back to the ground, and repeat on the other side
• Alternate back and forth for 30 seconds

High Lunge Stretch

Instructions:

• Stand behind your chair in a staggered stance with both toes pointing forward
• Place your hands on the chair for support
• Squeeze your bum muscles and bend into the front knee while keeping the back leg straight
• You should feel a deep stretch in the back hip
• Hold here for 20 seconds
• Switch sides and repeat

Alternating Thoracic Activation

Instructions:

• Stand with both arms elevated straight in front of you to shoulder height
• Palms should be facing each other
• Bring one arm behind you by squeezing its shoulder blade and extending the mid-upper back
• Once you reach back as far as you can, pause for a split second, then bring it back to center
• Then, pull the other arm away, repeating the motion on the other side
• Alternate back and forth for 30 seconds
• This movement can also be performed seated

Lateral Neck Stretch

Instructions:

• This exercise is easier to do standing, but can be done sitting, as well
• Reach one arm behind your back and interlace your fingers with the other hand
• From here, tilt your neck to the side—away from the side that is reaching behind you
• Try not to tilt your neck forward or backward, just to the side until you feel a good stretch
• Hold this position for 20 seconds
• Switch sides and repeat
  
  

Written by Eric Lister – Certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist