Even if your job has you sitting at a desk all day, there are simple, quick exercises you can do in your work space to get the blood flowing.
If you describe your daily routine as sedentary without much physical activity, you’re not alone. Less than half of all adults in the United States get enough physical activity. According to the Centers for Disease Control, "inactive adults have a higher risk for early death, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression and some cancers."
How much activity should you be getting? According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should aim for:
• 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise (like brisk walking) or
• 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise (like running) each week.
• And on at least 2 days per week, we should also be doing some muscle strengthening exercises.
Here’s the good news: you don't have to do the exercise in big blocks of time (like 30 or 45 minutes). Even 10 minutes of exercise at a time is acceptable and beneficial. You may not be able to carve an extra hour out of the day to go to the gym, but you can certainly find two or three 10-minute intervals throughout the day to get moving.
Shawn Richardville, fitness instructor at the Parkview Health & Fitness Center, has created a video series of exercise you can do at your desk. He’ll show you exactly what to do in order to tone your muscles and burn some calories. I think you will find that, by performing these exercises regularly, you will feel stronger, concentrate better, have more energy and maybe even improve your performance at work.
I’ve included a sample video below. You can see the full set of videos on the Parkview Health YouTube channel in a playlist called Desk Exercises. Give these desk exercises a try and let me know how it goes!
Learn more about the Parkview Health & Fitness Center.