You spend all day in front of your computer and all evening suffering from stiff muscles,
numbness, and tingling sensations.
Thankfully, there are a couple of easy exercises that can make you feel a lot better!
Neck and shoulders
After a long day of working on a computer or even driving long distances, the tension
in your muscles grows, causing pain in the tendons and bones.
To get rid of it, you need to take 2 steps: Stretch your muscles, and relieve pain and
tension.
To give your muscles a good stretch, lean against a doorway with one hand, and lower
your head.
Try to reach your other shoulder with your chin, and only then return to the initial
position.
Don't go too fast!
A pleasant warmth in the muscles is a sign that you're doing everything right.
Repeat the exercise 10 times for each arm.
After that, it's time to relieve the pain and tension.
For this exercise, stand up against a wall so that the back of your neck touches it and
your heels are about 3” away from it.
Lower your shoulders, stretch your arms to the sides, and do 10 lifts.
Make sure your arms touch the wall during the exercise.
Whether you constantly feel tension in your neck or not, don't dismiss these exercises!
Last year in Great Britain alone, 30 million people called in sick because of neck pain.
Pinched nerves and blood vessels in the neck can lead to numerous problems, including impaired
eyesight and headaches, so take care of it now before it's too late.
Wrists
The next part of your body that deserves your attention is your wrists.
Improper positioning of a keyboard and mouse, as well as the innocent habit of holding your
smartphone all the time, can easily lead to tingling and pain.
To avoid that, remember 3 simple exercises that you can do in 5 minutes right in your
office!
First, you have to warm up your wrist.
Do about 10 round motions with it, drawing circles with your hand while keeping your
arm stable.
Don't forget to repeat the same thing for the other hand.
Next up is finger stretching.
Link the index finger on your right hand with the index finger on your left hand, and start
to pull.
Continue to do so for every finger on both hands.
Finally, make it a habit to use 2 small balls or an expander during your work breaks to
strengthen your joints.
Just like with neck and shoulder pain, ignoring wrist sensations is a bad idea.
It can easily end with carpal tunnel syndrome, which causes slower nerve impulses and loss
of feeling in the fingers.
Lower back and buttocks
Lower back pain and heaviness in the legs doesn't mean you're getting old — it's just
a consequence of a sedentary lifestyle!
Sitting for several hours straight can easily lead to sciatica, a condition in which your
sciatic nerve becomes irritated.
Moreover, the absence of physical activity often provokes the development of cellulite.
But don't worry!
Just a couple of stretching exercises can minimize all the damage and improve your blood
circulation.
If you're in the office, sit on the edge of your chair, and stretch one leg forward.
Now slowly bend your body toward your leg.
Don't overdo it!
You shouldn't feel any pain or tension.
Repeat this exercise 5–10 times for each leg to work your lower back and buttocks and
relax your hamstring.
By the way, there's also a home exercise for back pain.
Lie on your back, and put a pillow or blanket under your neck.
Then bend your right knee, and put your left ankle on top of it so that your left foot
is above your right knee.
After that, clasp your hands around the back of your right thigh, and start to pull.
If you can't put your hands around your thigh, you can always use a towel.
Your task is to try not to lift your buttock while staying in this position for about 30
seconds.
Do 2 reps for one leg, and then switch to the other one.
And there you go!
Those are all the exercises you have to do regularly to clear up your lymph congestion.
Still, a sedentary lifestyle is no good for your body in the long run, so it's essential
to follow a couple of other tips to protect your health...
Get an adjustable seat.
If you have to sit all day long, at least do it in comfort!
Something as simple as an adjustable seat can easily minimize tons of the health risks
of a sedentary lifestyle.
They correct your posture and body mechanics, decreasing your chances of developing lower
back pain and unpleasant neck sensations.
Moreover, specialists often suggest using adjustable desks and changing them to standing
height a few times a day to activate your muscles after prolonged sitting.
Goodbye, lymph congestion!
Take walks.
Not that long ago, American specialists found that taking 5-minute walks during your work
day can reverse all the harm your peripheral arteries get from prolonged sitting.
Whenever you get a minute or 2, get up to get a cup of coffee, or just walk through
the office.
Taking the stairs is also a great idea!
It “shakes up” your legs and makes your muscles work.
If you can't take small walks at work, try to go home by foot or at least take a little
stroll in the neighborhood before you go to bed.
After all, moving is living, right?
Measure your steps.
Whenever you take a walk for lunch or during your break, don't forget to measure your steps.
These days you can find tons of useful apps to track your movements and compare them to
a daily norm.
At the end of the day, you can look through your daily activity, discover your weak spots,
and work on them.
Catrine Tudor-Locke, a walking behavior researcher, recognizes 5 main types of activity.
If you take only 5,000 steps a day, you probably lead a sedentary lifestyle and aren't too
active.
Low activity starts with 5,000 and ends with 7,500 steps per day.
Taking up to 9,000 steps every day is the golden mean; 10,000 steps puts you into the
active category.
And finally, if you walk about 15,000 steps a day, you must be a superhero!
This doesn't mean that you have to do that many, though.
10,000 steps a day is more than enough to keep your body healthy.
Stick to the 50:10 rule.
To keep your work and physical activity balanced, remember one simple rule: For every 50 minutes
of work, you should take a 10-minute break.
It can be anything you want, as long as it includes movement.
Put together an exercise routine to get your muscles well stretched, do a couple of push-ups,
or take a walk in the park to enjoy nature.
10 minutes later, you'll get back to work feeling motivated and energized!
Run!
Running every single day for at least 5–10 minutes is known to improve the functioning
of your whole body.
And you don't have to be Usain Bolt to get all these benefits!
Even the slowest running possible can make your organs stronger.
If you're not a big fan of running, try riding your bike.
It prevents obesity and works out your legs, buttocks, and lower back.
Plus, cycling releases an impressive amount of endorphins, reducing pain and making you
way happier.
So grab your helmet, and take a ride!
Tidy up.
If you work from home, try to get up at least 2–3 times a day to wash the dishes, sweep
the floor, or tidy your shelves.
It may not seem too exciting, but your muscles will definitely enjoy it since any physical
activity, even a monotonous one, gives them a good stretch after a whole day of sitting
down.
The best time to do it is right after you have breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Physical activity after eating lowers your blood sugar levels, decreases the risk of
insulin resistance, and allows your body to get its dose of movement before you get back
to work.
Be active on the weekends.
I get it!
On the weekend, all you wanna do is lie in bed in your pjs, eat, and watch some comedy
on Netflix.
But this doesn't help fight your sedentary lifestyle at all!
Start to go hiking, visit new places in your city with friends, or go to an exciting concert.
These types of activities always leave you with cool memories and stories, and they get
your body going after 5 days of sitting down like a zombie in front of your laptop.
It's a win-win either way!
What do you do after a long work day to let your body relax?
Sound off in the comments below!
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Stay on the Bright Side!