Office Fitness
Sedentary employment distinguishes today’s work force from those of previous eras: The vast majority of workers in the United States spend most of their day seated. Sitting for prolonged periods can adversely affect physical fitness in several ways. First, it contributes to weight-control problems by burning fewer calories than moving around or just standing up. Second, long stretches of sitting weaken your stomach and hack muscles; lower-back problems are compounded by badly designed chairs or poor posture- Finally, sitting reduces the range of motion through which you move your joints. Desk work in particular restricts movement and deprives you of exercise.
Even if you do not sit all day, chances are that your office environment and work schedule present little opportunity for getting sufficient activity, so that you must snake a conscious effort to fit extra movement into your everyday routine. Furthermore, the conveniences of modern offices as well as the transportation most people take to work tend to reinforce a sedentary lifestyle. Elevators, escalators, word processors, even push-button telephones may contribute to your productivity, but they reduce the amount of physical activity in your life.
One way to compensate for not getting enough activity during office hours is to exercise before and after work. You can also use a stability ball for a office exercise ball to workout your core region. If you consistently walk, run, swim or engage in another aerobic exercise, you can tone your muscles and keep your heart in relatively good shape. But even so, you will still feel better and have more energy if you make a point of moving around and exercising during the workday. Studies show that some form of exercise, even if it is minimal, will improve your concentration, make you more alert and relieve tension. As a result, both your health and your job performance may improve.
Stretching is particularly important for those who work with electronic devices like computer keyboards. It generally takes less effort to push computer keys than typewriter keys. In addition, a computer keyboard requires fewer changes in hand position: Most of the time you hold your hands in place while only your fingers move. You mix not move for long periods of time – you never have to change the paper, or even lift a pencil as you do if you are typing or writing longhand. As a result, when you work at a computer terminal for several hours, tension builds sip in your hands, shoulders and forearms, making you vulnerable to cramps or stiffness.
In addition, neck and back problems can arise from staring at a computer monitor or talking on a telephone for an extended period. The stretches included can stimulate blood flow to your muscles, thereby relieving built-up muscular tension. The exercises emphasize bending slat reaching; in’ ways that most people neglect during the typical workday.
Approach these stretches as carefully as you would any new exercise. Move into theirs gently and do not push yourself farther than you can comfortably go. Over several weeks, you will find that your flexibility will gradually improve as you become more experienced with the routines, and you will be able to reach and stretch farther. Besides offering as setting for stretches, the office is also a good place for strength-building exercises. Strengthening the upper body can be accomplished with isometrics that pit the arms against the hands, or with dynamic exercises that involve lifting hooks or other objects found in the office. Strengthening the middle body in an office chair usually requires swiveling while seated or simply tightening your abdominal muscles in an isometric squeeze ; lower body exercises include shallow knee bends and thigh raises
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