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Due to the pervasive nature of modern life we often spend too much time sitting, making integration of more physical activity into our daily routines a significant challenge.
As the cold weather approaches, the temptation to stay indoors and relax after a busy day is strong.
Still, maintaining physical mobility is paramount.
Prolonged inactivity, especially rest, deprives the body of the vital nutrients it needs. Exercise,
When our activity levels reach a sedentary state, it signals an urgent need lifestyle Adjustment.
Nuffield Health personal trainer Kieran Douglas highlights the potential risks a sedentary lifestyle can pose to your health and shares some great tips on how to gradually increase your activity throughout the day.
What is a sedentary lifestyle?
“A sedentary lifestyle is when a person spends most of their time lying down or sitting with very little movement between periods of rest,” says Douglas. “This could be at home, in the office or driving all day. This does not apply to a person who only rests one day a week, but more to a person who has less than 150 minutes of any type of exercise a week.”
What effect does sitting for a long time have on the body?
“In the short term, sitting for long periods of time can lead to muscle stiffness, joint pain, and reduced blood circulation from lack of movement,” says Douglas. “You’ll burn significantly fewer calories throughout the day and this is also likely to have a negative impact on your posture.”
Over the long term, these effects accumulate and can lead to weight gain and later health problems.
“You may find that posture problems turn into chronic neck, shoulder or back pain over time,” says Douglas. “Too much sedentary behavior can also lead to persistently low energy levels and higher feelings of stress. Additionally, a sedentary lifestyle makes weight management extremely difficult, so you’ll be more likely to gain weight.
“In addition, lack of activity can have a negative impact on your day-to-day fitness and make tasks such as shopping, cleaning or climbing stairs much more difficult in the long term.”
What are the biggest challenges people face when trying to break out of a sedentary lifestyle?
“People feel overwhelmed by the idea of changing their entire lifestyle and fitness in general,” admits Douglas. “At this point, many people lack energy, have body aches and probably lack education about how to exercise properly and how much they should do.”
What are the risks of doing too much too soon?
“Our muscles, ligaments and tendons need time to develop, so if a person jumps into exercise too early they risk overtraining or even injuring themselves,” explains Douglas. “Our bodies condition gradually over time, so it’s best to ease into higher levels of movement.”
Here are seven ways to break out of a cluttered lifestyle and get rid of a sedentary lifestyle…
go for a five minute walk every day
“Walking for five minutes a day is a great way to start,” says Douglas. “This helps set the expectation of exercising and embeds a habit in your daily routine. Plus, five minutes doesn’t take much time, so time can’t be used as an excuse. After a while you can increase it to 10 minutes and gradually add more and more time.”
Decide on some movement anchors
“This is when you associate an activity with a type of movement,” explains Douglas. “For example, stretching while brushing your teeth, walking on your lunch break or standing during a TV commercial break.”
Be intentional about incidental activity
“Increased mobility includes parking farther away from work or doing shopping in two trips instead of one, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator to increase your steps,” says Douglas.
stretch every morning
“Stretch for 30 seconds when you wake up,” advises Douglas. “Activating your hips, neck or shoulders even for a short time each morning is a great start.”
prepare
“Prepare yourself for a good day of activity by wearing some comfortable walking shoes or choosing an audio book to enjoy during your walk,” advises Douglas. “The less friction you have when you start, the better.”
celebrate small victories
“Remember that every step counts,” says Douglas. “Acknowledge your efforts every day and remind yourself why you are doing it.”
Consider getting a personal trainer
“I would always recommend a personal trainer to anyone who wants to increase their activity and improve their health,” says Douglas. “We can help you set small goals and tasks and gradually increase them. Most importantly, we can help keep you motivated and cheer you on every step of the way.”