Office Fitness Alongamentos no escritório

If you're like most people who have an office job, you've gotten into the habit of sitting for hours on end. If your typical workday involves a whole lot of sitting, it's time to take action. So this week's challenge is to stretch and move more during your workday.

First, let's look at why sitting for so long is such a dangerous thing. To start off, you'll experience a lower level of circulation, which can cause high levels of fatigue. That's because your muscles aren't getting the oxygen that they need. Those who sit for extended periods of time are also going to be at a higher risk for heart disease.

To counteract all this, you should consider stretching throughout the day. Stretching is a great way to get the blood flowing again, energizing your body and mind. Best of all, you don't even have to leave your office to do it.

So which stretches are best? Let's look at your line-up.

Shoulder Stretch

The first stretch to consider is the shoulder stretch. To perform this one, move one arm across the body, holding onto it with the other hand located just over the elbow.

Slowly press gently into the body as you stretch it as far across the body as possible. While doing this you should feel a slight pull in the shoulder region. Hold and then repeat to the other side.

Hamstring Stretch

The next stretch to perform is the hamstring stretch. For this one, stand in front of your desk a few feet and then place one foot directly on top of the desk. From there, lean forward, trying to keep the knee straight the entire time. Lower yourself as far down as you can go, thinking of pressing the stomach into the leg.

Hold and then switch sides and repeat.

Side Stretch

Since your back and spinal column will likely get tight and tense after sitting for so long, doing some stretches to loosen up this area is a wise move.

To perform this stretch, simply sit in a chair and then twist to one side. Keep the body as upright as possible while in this position. Using your arms placed on the chair in front and behind you, gently push the body in either direction.

Hold and then repeat to the other side.

Hip Flexor Stretch

Finally, the last stretch that you'll do for this challenge is a hip flexor stretch. The hip flexors are another group of muscles that will tend to get quite tense and tight when sitting for extended periods of time. To perform these, place one foot up on your desk(or chair) once again, but this time keep the knee bent. You should be standing closer to the desk as well, only a foot or so away.

From there, while keeping the standing knee straight, lean inwards, focusing on stretching out the top of the front thigh region (the hip flexor). Pause in this position and then switch sides and repeat.

So there you have four great stretches that you can perform as you go about your day. Of course, these are all just suggestions. The most important thing is just to move throughout the day: whether it's stretching, or walking around the office.