New Delhi, Feb 5
Be it the Metro, car, bike or
workplace, most office-goers tend to sit at one spot at a stretch every
day at the cost of their health. So how about taking a little time out
to exercise at your workplace every now and then?
A survey done
by Qi Spine Clinic in 2014 shows that 57 percent of professionals in
office jobs are affected by visible symptoms of sedentary workplace
behaviour. Experts agree and suggest that by taking breaks to stretch or
to run on the spot, people can work towards a healthier lifestyle.
"Desk
work puts a huge mental and physical stress on our bodies, especially
on our lower back, leading to low back pain," Garima Anandani, chief
spine specialist at Qi Spine Clinic, told IANS.
"The combination
of high stress at jobs (which puts people at greater risk for habits
such as smoking), sitting for long periods (sitting for over two hours
at a stretch is considered a long period) at the desk in poor posture,
and lack of physical activity, puts us at greater risk for low back
pain," she added.
Stressing the importance of an active
lifestyle, Ibrahim Khan, master trainer at Talwalkars gym, said: "A
sitting job would lead to lower back pain and spondylosis. A side effect
of not working out would be slowing down of Basal Metabolic Rate (the
rate at which we burn our calories), and weight gain."
Leading holistic health guru Mickey Mehta has some easy-to-follow solutions.
"Use
the staircase at least three times a day. Walk from your house or
office to the bus stand. After every two hours, get up from the chair
and take a deep breath and stretch backwards. Then breathe out and come
and touch your toes," he said.
"Twisting will also help. Hip rotation clockwise and anticlockwise is good too," he added.
Another
simple way to workout in office is to run on the spot, suggests Neeraj
Mehta, director of Growth For Fitness Instructors Fitness Academy.
"You can do that for 30 seconds or a minute. Then do a little bit of stretching," he said.
Anandani is also in favour of stretching.
"For
the benefit of the back and neck, stretch from head to toe, beginning
with the neck. Slowly tilt your head towards your shoulder. Hold for 10
seconds. Do alternate sides. Next loosen up your shoulders. Roll both
shoulders forward in a circular motion then backward. Repeat 10 times,"
she said.
Tightening stomach muscles at work is also possible!
"To work your abdominal muscles, hold your stomach for a few seconds when breathing in, then release when breathing out.
"If
possible, get some fresh air in your lungs by taking a walk outside,"
master trainer Aminder Singh at Anytime Fitness, told IANS.
For your hips, try kicking...in the air!
"Leg
kick front is good for hips. Kick front in a controlled way, do 10
counts for each leg. Another one is side kick. Kick sideways in a
controlled way, do 10 counts for each leg," said Khan.
While
taking the staircase is a must to keep the legs strong, Singh also
suggests to sit upright on your chair and straighten one leg out in
front of you.
Your hands should rest on the chair. Hold the
position for three to five seconds. Repeat it between 12 and 20 times,
then switch to the other leg, he said.
And just in case you don't want bingo wings, don't forget to keep your arms fit.
"Stand
up and place your hands (each about a shoulder width away from your
body) on the desk, and twist them in so they point towards your body
then lean forward.
"Then push your shoulders and elbows closer to the desk. Repeat it five times," said Singh.
Thanks to computers, office work also strains the eyes, so you need to exercise to strengthen them too.
"Gaze at a distant object for 15 to 30 seconds, then relax eyes," said Neeraj Mehta.
Now stop sitting and reading, get set going towards a fitter and more active you.
(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at [email protected] )
