Sitting Too Long Is A Silent Killer
Photo credits to Pixabay

Our Current Lifestyle

Many of us are overly stressed due to our current lifestyle – lacking sleep, skipping meals or not eating properly, and chasing the rat race. With all of these combined, we’ll find ourselves as:

• The fattest in South-east Asia region.
• Has the highest obesity rates.
• Ranked 8th in the world for the highest sugar consumption.
• High cases of diabetes-related kidney failure.

Few of the reasons which may have caused us, Malaysians to fall into these categories are:

• Our weather – the humidity which many of us avoid and preferred to stay indoors, especially in the afternoon.
• Public parks or places to exercise are lacking in safety.
• Gyms in Malaysia are not secured due to the reason cases.
• Unhealthy food and snacks are available easily readily, 24/7.

However, there are ways to help us keep the bulge away. How 45 minutes a day can improve your well-being, and the best part is, you may do it at the leisure of your desk!

How 45 Minutes A Day Can Improve Your Well-Being

A Better Lifestyle For A Better Well-Being
Photo Credits to Pixabay

For most of us, as soon as we sit, we’ll be overwhelmed with work. Apart from skipping meals, we tend to forget to move as well. Eventually, we sit more than 6 hours a day! This is alarming as sitting too long triggers other health related issues. Sitting too long will lead to our body to shut down the metabolic rate. This will lead our circulations to slow down, burning fewer calories and exposed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

It’s advisable to move around every hour, with simple steps on how 45 minutes a day can improve your well-being. You may perform these simple exercises at your own desk. As you need to move around on every hour, each exercise takes only 5 minutes. By the end of the day, you’ll get a total of 45 minutes workout.

Walk

Have a stroll daily or move around to improve your blood circulation.

Get up and make yourself a cup of coffee, tea (or anything) or use the stairs instead of the elevator. Move or walk around improves your blood circulation which may reduce the risk of getting a peripheral arterial disease. It’s a cardiovascular disease of the feet and legs, whereby fatty deposits restrict the blood supply.

Stretches

It is very common for us to suffer from work-related musculoskeletal disorders
Photo credits to CCOHS

There are many stretches you may do at your desk. Stretch your neck and arms to relieve the pressure off shoulders. Flex your fingers and wrists to ease your joints especially after an hour of typing or scrolling through your digital device. Stretching helps to improve flexibility, prevent injury and reduce stress.

Squat

The basic squat never fails
Photo credits to Healthnbodytips

Another wonderful workout you may do is squat. Try doing the basic squat for 10 repetitions as you won’t be able to reach a total of 5 minutes at the beginning. Slowly work your way from 10 to 50 reps and you’ll soon be able to reach the 5 minutes goal. Want something challenging? Remove your chair and squat as if you were sitting. This will increase your endurance, burn fats, tone your bum and lower back, improve knee stability and strengthen connective tissues.

Tricep Dips

Tricep Dips Can Be Done Easily At Your Chair
Photo Credits to Rosanna Davison Nutrition

Tricep dips can be performed using your office chair. However, you need a stable chair to avoid injury. Similar with squats, go with 10 repetitions until you are able to work through the 5 minutes mark. Tricep dips engaged your forearms, shoulders and lower back. This is a very useful workout for ladies to combat ‘bye bye arms‘.

Seated Leg Extension

Single Seated Leg Extension Workout
Photo credits to 1.BP

Seated leg extension is another simple workout which you may do on your chair. Relax and lift up your leg, extend as high as you can. Start with 10 repetitions and increase the reps once you are comfortable. Apart from improving your blood circulation, this workout will tone your quadriceps. This workout can be done using both or single leg.

Seated Knee Raise

Seated Knee Raise
Photo credits to Cpi Studiod

Sitting at the front of your chair, lift one leg off the floor and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat with the other leg. This workout targets your lower body, abs and obliques. It helps to strengthen your spine, core and posture.

Desk Push Ups

Stand away from your desk, feet together, place palms at the edge of your desk, a shoulder’s width apart. Lower your chest to your desk and push back up. Try 10 repetitions and once you have gained your momentum, slowly increase the reps. This workout targets your upper body, chest, shoulders, abs, and lower back.

5 Minutes Office Workout

Once you have gotten the hold of it, working out for every 5 minutes will improve your overall:

• Heart rate.
• Breathing.
• Body temperature.
• Blood circulation.
• Endorphin level, your feel good hormones.

Our body and mind will switch off after 45 to 50 minutes of sitting and staring at the computer. A 5 minutes office workout will refresh your whole body, relieve stress and boost your energy for better results with a clear mind. This is how 45 minutes a day can improve your well-being.