As we age, it is easy to continue old habits like staying seated all day, or enjoying watching TV without interruptions.
But guess what…
Anything unhealthy you do now will have worse consequences than when you were young. And staying seated for a long time is no exception.
So today I want to share with you simple ways to minimise joint pain and bad blood circulation on a daily basis.
But let's start with the basics.
Firstly, when you stay still, you need to make sure that you are not pressuring veins or slouching in a bad position. Wether you are in front of a computer or on the couch. The basics are the same.
Your screen should be at head height so you don’t always tilt your head down or forward.
Your feet should rest on the floor = not hanging, and not putting pressure on the back of your legs.
And your elbows and wrists should be resting comfortably on your desk or arm rests.
Your seat should be adjusted so your back is straight and keeps a natural lumbar curve. (not rounded).

If you have trouble finding the right position: Have a look at accessories like lumbar pillow, screen elevators, footrests, or wrist pads…
But even if you have the best posture and workstation possible, it is highly recommended that you move every 60 to 90 minutes. The best way to remember to move is to set an alarm and do the following routine.
Your hourly routine:
1) Take a few deep breaths
Taking a few deep breaths can help you reoxygenate, relax and reset. There are a lot of things breathing techniques can be used for, and I encourage you to learn more by following some of those people: “Lynsey from Rhythm of breath, “the breathing coach” and Kathy Petersojn from evestudio. But it does not have to be hard, you have been breathing until now right?
So just Inhale slowly from the nose until you feel your tummy expand, your ribs spread, and your spine lengthen. Then exhale super slowly to the point where you squeeze your abs muscles.
Repeat 3 to 5 times.
2) Seated Exercises
Getting some muscle activations will keep your lymphatic system active and your blood flowing. You should specifically target the muscles that are “long” when you are in the sitting position:
· Quads: 5 slow Leg lifts)
· Glutes: contract them 10 times while seating)
· Back: seat as tall as possible and squeeze your shoulder blades together
· Neck: bring your chin back, and turn your head side to side slowly
3) Stretches
Following the same logic, you should stretch the muscles that are staying “short” when in a sited position as they can become stiffer, and unbalance your joints. Which in turn leads to permanent posture modification.
The muscles you should stretch in priority are:
· Pectorals: slide at the front of your chair and grab the back rest, then bring your chest forward and wiggle to find the best stretching angle for you.
· Hamstrings: stay at the front of the chair and extend one leg forward. Then tilt your hip to bring your pelvis backwards until you feel the back of your leg is stretching.
· Hip flexors: you’ll need to stand, bring one leg back, bend both knees slightly and try to bring your hip forward while bending your back backward.
4) Stand up and walk to the kitchen
Just going to the kitchen can help a lot. This is because the change of position will activate your cardiovascular system (the heart needs to pump harder in a standing position) and get the blood flowing. It will also get all your joints in action so they don’t “freeze”.
5) Drink a glass of water.
Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches, and poor concentration as well as kidney damage (the filter of your body). But most people do it wrong, and too late.
You should drink before your body rings the “thirsty” alarm, and you should drink small quantities regularly.
Think of your body as a plant: it absorbs and uses the water better if you “water” it often. Too much at once will just ends up on the floor… And your body does the same. A lot of water will increase your blood pressure too fast, and the body will eliminate it straight away. Sending you to the toilettes 15min later.
But one glass (or a few sips) per hour should be close to the sweet spot.
It is important to note that coffee and tea are diuretics at high dosage (= make you pee). But it can still hydrate you when used at low concentrations.
And to finish, let’s talk about the cherry on the cake: Trying to fit 30 minutes of exercise every day.
Sounds hard?
Not really!
Because remember that exercise does not have to be going to the gym. Gardening, cleaning and playing with a dog or kids also counts!
But whatever you do, make sure that you catch a few minutes of sunlight every day. I know that the sun is seen as the ultimate enemy in Australia. And YES, you should apply sun screen if you get exposed.
But a few minutes per day are essential to synthesise vitamin D. Which is important for bone health as it helps fight osteoporosis. Plus it is also helping with muscle health and immunity.
You can dead my previous rticle about it here: https://www.fitandfunlife.com/post/how-supplements-in-vitamin-d-can-help-you-to-stay-healthy-and-fight-the-coronavirus
And now the bad news:
If those simple actions will keep you healthy for longer. They are not sufficient to optimal health. (sorry).
I probably don't have to remind anyone that: sleep, nutrition and exercise are also essential to optimal health? Right?
But that is a story for later 😉
If you want to scare yourself out about the danger of sedentarily, you can read my previous article about “sitting is the new smoking”
Or have a look at those articles:
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