How often should you do a warm-up at the office

Hypodynamia is one of the most serious problems of our time. Nature created man for an active lifestyle, but our reality offers completely different conditions. The development of information technology has led to a sharp increase in sedentary occupations, involving many hours of sitting in one position with a minimum of movement.

The danger of hypodynamia

The World Health Organization studies suggest that an increase in daily physical activity can prevent about 3 million deaths annually. 8-9 hours of sedentary work in the office, going by public transport, an evening rest in front of the TV – such a lifestyle can lead to serious health problems. Low activity increases the risk of development of:

• diseases of the locomotor and musculoskeletal systems;
• disorders of the cardiovascular system;
• gastrointestinal dysfunction;
• diabetes;
• oncology and other serious diseases.

Why you need to warm up during the working day

It is a mistake to think that people can compensate for the lack of movement during the day within regular workouts after work. This is not true. Of course, training is good for health, but it cannot compensate for the all damage. Sitting posture for a long time is not natural for a human body.  Even a small warm-up during the day will improve well-being, increase efficiency and become a preventive measure against many diseases. We are talking about simple exercises – tilting, rotation, swinging hands, walking around the office. Doctors recommend to do a warm-up every 2-3 hours (giving it 5-7 minutes). Even during urgent work, when you can’t move away from the computer, you can move your shoulders, do some turns of the body and neck, bend over several times without getting up from your chair. Here are some more tips from the experts:

• try to increase physical activity during the day: do not use the elevator, walk around the office, take a walk instead of getting the bus, do not spend evenings on the couch;
• do not forget about gymnastics for the eyes, for working with glasses it is recommended to purchase lenses with a computer filter;
• monitor the posture to keep the spine healthy;
• for the first time, you can set a reminder on your smartphone so as not to miss the warm-up.