Progress Gym - 20 tips for sitting (Part 1)

After a long day on our feet, sitting down can feel like bliss. Taking the pressure off our ‘barking dogs’, knees and hips can be a wonderfully rewarding and relaxing feeling.

For many First World inhabitants, instead of sitting down being the exception, it has become the norm and, for many, sitting for excessively prolonged and frequent periods can be detrimental. Being seated for longer durations can encourage some of our muscles to become shorter and tighter- negatively impacting posture. In some instances, this can lead to muscular discomfort, joint pain and even tension headaches.

If we’re not vigilant, modern living can have us seated for breakfast, the drive/commute to work, the morning at work, lunchtime, the afternoon at work, the drive/commute home, evening meal and then an evening spent with TVs, tablets, laptops or phones.

Being ‘folded up’ for the majority of our waking hours isn’t a natural position to be in- literally! We must take measures to ensure that our lifestyle doesn’t have a detrimental effect on our health.

Here at Progress, we’ve compiled 20 top ‘Solutions for sitting’. We’re not expecting you’ll want or need to implement all 20! However, if just 1 of these tips gets you feeling ‘ironed out’ or more mobile you’ll feel the difference and we’ll be happy.

Ok, stand to attention- let’s combat excessive sitting time!

At home…

1.      Squeeze your Glutes whilst brushing your teeth- I can’t take credit for this one. This one is Ben Donnelly’s! Each morning and night (‘cos we all brush our teeth twice a day, right!), whilst brushing your teeth, stand tall and actively flex both Gluteus/butt muscles. This will help to improve your mind/muscle connection with these powerful Hip Extensors and also provide a nice stretch to the front of the hip (Hip Flexors).

2.      Read standing up- if you’re a keen reader (or aspire to be!) set a timer each day to read 30minutes and stand up to do so. After this, if you want to sit down to continue reading, so be it, but at least you’ll have had another 30minutes without sitting!

3.      Mobilise whilst the kettle boils- putting a brew on will give you a brief and finite amount of time, just long enough, to get in a 3-5 mobility movements. Get down and knock out some Glute bridges or some Scorpion stretches or stay on your feet and hit a few Hamstring stretches or backward shoulder rolls. Do this 2-3 times a day and you’ll soon be feeling the benefits.

4.      Kneel for watching television- not for hours on end, but spells of 10-30minutes- depending on your circumstances. Get a dense cushion or Yoga ‘bolster’ to support your seat and kneel either side of it. Chances are, if you’re kneeling, that your upper body will remain more upright than if you’re slumped on the settee.

5.      Write & complete a ‘to stand’ list- if we don’t set ourselves things to do whilst standing, it’s likely we’ll find ourselves on our derriere, again. “Do laundry, ironing, sort 3 kitchen cupboards, clean bathroom, organise books, vacuum, make a dance routine with the kids, rake up leaves, read standing for 30mins” etc…are all options that will get things done and you off your butt.

6.      For those with an upstairs & downstairs toilet- wherever you are- use the ‘other’ one. If you’re downstairs, use the upstairs toilet. If you’re upstairs, use the downstairs. This will require more upright movement, more steps and less time seated!

7.      Use break times to walk- if you drive for a living there’s no escaping that large portions of your shift you’re probably seated. However, when it comes to break time, use the opportunity to get out of the seat and unfold, get upright and walk. Oxygen, nature, phone and walk!

8.      Volunteer for tasks which require you to move around- put your hand up to fetch the milk, coffees or lunch for your team. If something needs fetching from another department- go get it!

9.      Consider alternative seating options- regular/generic office seating can exacerbate the problems associated with excessive sitting. Consider, if practical, using an inflatable Swiss/Yoga ball to encourage you to sit more upright. The instability of these balls also means your Core muscles will be called on far more than a regular chair. If you’ve got to use a regular chair, consider investing in a lumber support to encourage you to sit more upright.

10.   Consider standing- if your workplace can support it, ask if you can have a standing desk or one that has the option to convert to a standing position. Potentially spend the morning seated, the afternoon standing, or break day your day in to 60minute blocks of each. If you spend long periods on the telephone at work, consider using a portable headset and move around whilst using the phone.