Its hard to believe but one of the most life threatening challenges we face daily is living with a desk job. The amount of studies showing negative side effects of sitting all the time are really depressing since i know that the majority of the population including myself is sitting in these death traps on the daily. Standing desks are becoming all the rage right now but what if your place of employment does not care about the health of their employees? Are we doomed to die early? Is there anything we can do to correct this issue or at least minimize the negatives that come from sitting all the time? Well today is your lucky day because over my 8 years of working behind a desk daily i have found some pretty great ways to stay pretty healthy and still spend the majority of your time sitting. Today i'm going to provide you with 8 tips to include in your daily life to keep your desk job from killing you!
So whats wrong with sitting anyway?
Sitting itself is fine the problem arises when we spend hours and hours sitting. The human body was designed to move and not be static all day. In this day and age we on estimate spend close to 40 hours a week sitting or maybe even more when you count for the times outside of work you sit. The news makes this topic sound incredibly scary when you read about it. Headlines such as "is your desk job killing you?" etc. are certainly things you don't want to be reading when you know yourself that you spend a ton of time sitting. I have always enjoyed being behind a desk with technology at my hands. I really do enjoy that but at the same time i make conscious efforts to take a lot of walks daily, Train at the gym 5 times a week, and try to stand as much as possible when not at a desk. When you don't allow yourself time to get up throughout the day is when this becomes a problem.
Just to name a few of the many negatives of sitting for too long.....
- back issues
- knee issues
- hip issues
- slower resting metabolic rate
- bad posture
- Lower insulin sensitivity
- Higher chance of injury
- Lack of core strength
- Higher chance of cardiac issues
- JUST ALL OUT BAD
So what can we do??????
7 Tips To Keep Your Desk Job From Killing You
1. Stretch in the morning right out of bed
The first one starts before you even start your day. Right out of bed after a mediation session (if you choose) is when you should run through some stretches to start your day. Focus on the quads, hamstrings, ankles, and T-Spine. Those are the areas most affected behind your desk. You want to start the day nice and stretched. Trust me it feels good to sit at a desk when your not cramping up due to tight muscles.
Morning stretch routine
- forward hang hamstring stretch
- standing back arches and touch your toes
- standing twists
- pigeon stretch
- Quad stretch
2. Every two hours you sit get up and stretch for about 15 min
Stretching in the morning is good but it must be done throughout the day to really get the benefits of it. I recommend for every 2 hours you sit get up and do 15 minutes of different stretches. This might sound annoying but you will thank me when your not constantly in pain and stiff all day!
Is your desk job causing you pain? Check out this article on 7 ways to reduce sciatica and back pain.
3. Try to get up once an hour to move
This is a great rule to follow to keep blood flow moving and not get stiff. Even if its just to go to the bathroom or fill up your water bottle. Or even a walk to the copy machine. It Does not have to be long just get up and move a little.
4. Take a random 20-30 break a day to do a mind clearing activity
I know i might get some flack for this one but i really believe hard in this one. About six months ago i started taking a 20-30 min break at noon every day to just leave my desk and do whatever i feel. This really is an amazing feeling because its halfway through the work day and it allows your mind to reset before you start the second half of your day.
This 30 min break is strictly for mindfulness like walking or meditation, anything that allows you to recharge. I recommend leaving your phone at your desk during this time. Just leave the office. If your boss complains just say you need to step away for a bit to clear your mind. Health should be your numero uno focus each and every day because if you don't have health you have nothing. You can take my home, take all my money and i will be fine with my health. You take my health then not even all the money and world will allow you to live. --- Remember that.
5. Take a 10 min walk after every meal you eat
This technique works really well to allow you to better metabolize the food you eat and bring your mind back to work in a nice steady pace instead of crashing and sleepiness that a lot of us experience halfway through the day. The 10 min walk will actually provide...
- clearness of mind
- lowers blood sugar
- helps better metabolize meal
- regulates proper digestion
All this from only a 10 minute walk!!!!!!
6. Train in the gym 3-5 days a week for at least 45 min
This one should just be second nature and if its not your doing it wrong. Training should be like brushing your teeth. Simply make it a plan to get in the gym just 3 times a week and train for 45 min thats it!!!! This can really help you in avoiding health issues down the road... GO TRAIN!
For your convenience this is a simple 3 day a week program to make things simple!
Monday
(Total Body Hypertrophy)
- Squat 4x8
- Bench 4x8
- Deadlift 3x7
- Pull Ups 3 sets to failure
- Crunches 50 reps
Wednesday
(Total Body Assistance)
- Leg Ext. 4x10-12
- Leg Curls 4x10-12
- Calf Raises 4x10-12
- Incline DB Press 3x10-12
- Barbell Row 3x10-12
- Seated Shoulder Press 3x10-12
- Shoulder One Arm Side Laterals 3x10-12
- Cable Face Pulls 3x10-12
- Alt. Bicep Curls 3x10-12
- One Arm Tricep Overhead Ext. 3x10-12
- Pike Ups 30 reps
Friday
(Total Body Strength)
- Squat 5x5
- Bench 5x5
- Deadlift 3x5
- Pull Ups 3 sets to failure
- Bicycle Crunches 50 reps
Been training a while and need something more advanced? Check out my SHDUPA Strength and Size Program.
7. Try only eating a couple meals a day
I know this one is not for everyone but i really like this one. I have been only eating 2 times a day for over 6 years now and i will continue to probably always eat like that. Intermittent fasting or whatever you want to call it continues to have numerous studies published daily showing how it can benefit so many things in your life. For me i eat at 2pm and then after the gym at 8:30pm thats it. For this allows me to spend the majority of my day in a fasted clear state of mind and I'm able to focus and get so much more done. The benefits of fasting????
- Maintain a lean body mass with ease year round
- you get to eat big meals when you do eat
- hunger does not even exist anymore
- clear state of mind
- higher insulin sensitivity (VERY GOOD THING)
- better metabolic use of food
- better digestion
- you never think about snacking anymore
- Eliminates Cravings
- Allows you to better control blood sugar
AND SO MUCH MORE.
The only people i don't think should fast are people with active life styles. If your at a desk all day, then there is no need to eat all day long! Eat a few hours before the gym and then after before bed thats all you really need. JUST MAKE SURE TO STILL GET YOUR CALORIES IN!!!!!!
8. Invest in a good chair for your desk
After i herniated my disks a year ago i decided to finally upgrade my bad office chair to a really nice one and it was one of the best decisions ever! I feel so much better when i get to the gym now after work since my back is in such a better position during the day. Chances are your boss is not going to buy you a new chair so your going to have to invest yourself but trust me it's so worth it!!!!
Don't Let Being Desk Bound Get You Down
In this day and age there is no way around it. Most of all our jobs are centered around being at a desk all day. Your not doomed to eternity don't worry. These 8 tips might sound simple but they can really make your job so much easier on your body. To recap
- get up through the day to stretch
- take breaks during the day to do a mind clearing activity
- eat less often
- train at the gym 3 times a week for 45 min.
- invest in a new chair
If you guys enjoyed this weeks blog let me know and feel free to share on your social media as i would greatly appreciate it. Cya guys next week!
Stay Strong,
Shawn Fausey
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- Shawn Fausey is the Founder and CEO of Fausey's Fitness. With Over 6 years experience in Bodybuilding, Powerlifting and Nutrition. Shawn offers services of online fitness coaching, programing and consulting. Shawn is also a Graphic Designer and can be reached for graphic services on www.rev-graphics.com
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