As a population, we are inherently less mobile than we used to be. Many of us possess’own’nurse extransform’alter d the manual work of our ancestors in/with regard to’concerning’regarding more sedentary professions that involve sitting at a desk or being behind the wheel. It is inevitable that this will possess’own’nurse an adverse effect on our health, so what can we do to combat this?

We all know that exercise is rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent in/with regard to’concerning’regarding us, but what are we supposed to do if our jobs keep us sat in one place in/with regard to’concerning’regarding long periods of time? Here, Andrea Easton, Head of Finance and Operations at Fleet Ex, look at the problems that sitting in/with regard to’concerning’regarding too long can bring as well as ways to work around this and assure’guarantee that you can look after your health no matter what job you do.

The Dangers Of Sitting Still

You won’t find it on many death certificates, but physical inactivity is actually the fourth largest cause of death and disability in the UK. There are a whole range of conditions that can be brought on or exaggerated by a lack of activity, including a 112% multiply d risk of diabetes, a 147% multiply d risk of cardiovascular death and a 49% risk of all-cause mortality. These are not the merely’barely conditions that you might suffer from, as long-term sitters also fall victim to back, neck and leg pain, sleep apnoea, premature ageing, deep vein thrombosis, blood clots, strokes and mental health conditions.

The reason that sitting still is so wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile in/with regard to’concerning’regarding you is because you add a static load to your musculoskeletal system, and this prevents the effective circulation of the blood around the body. If you are not sat correctly, you can also put additional pressure on other zone’district’region s of your body such as your back or legs so claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate ing with regards to’concerning’with respect to your posture is also significant’essential’critical’vital’crucial’indispensable’imperative . It can also bring about’result in’contribute to’account for’make for’trigger a establish -up of fluid and peaking blood glucose levels which contribute to obesity.

How To Combat Inactivity

The obvious solution to combatting inactivity is to move more, so it’s easy to fall into the trap of claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate ing a couple of gym sessions each week are going to do abundant’ample’plentiful . If you want to fight the effects of sitting still effectively then you need to assure’guarantee that you are trying to move around eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully 30 minutes or so. This doesn’t need to be a full workout, and what you do will vary according to your situation, but it can prevent many of the health risks associated with being sedentary.

Ideally, we need to spend 20 minutes per day being active, aldespite’in spite of’albeit few of us actually do this. By breaking this up into regular chunks, it is much easier to work into a daily routine and feels far more achievable. One way to add activity into your day is to claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate with regards to’concerning’with respect to how you acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure to work.

The commute leaves us sat in one place in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a long time so acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting off the bus a stop early or parking further away can give you just a few minutes of tender cover’budge ing that will benefit your muscles, your heart and your mind all bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e you even start work.

Being Active As A Driver

When you are an HGV propel r, it can be much harder to take a break eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully half an hour. You will be on the road with deadlines to meet and traffic to beat, so pulling over in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a cover’budge is unlikely to be an option. However, there are exercises that you can do in your seat when you are parked up or even when sat at the traffic lights.

These exercises can involve muscular contractions that give you a in/with regard to’concerning’regarding m of stand up to withstand ance without actually having to move. They might seem small but by placing lay stress on’emphasize’highlight es on different muscle groups you can assure’guarantee that you give them and your heart a workout.

These exercises can include pressing yourself towards the steering wheel while holding it and pulling back again to activate your back, shoulders and arms. You can help your posture by sitting up as tall as possible and then tucking your chin back or work your core by squeezing your abs to draw your belly button into your spine and hold in/with regard to’concerning’regarding 15 to 30 seconds.

Being Active In The Office

Being stuck behind a desk can possess’own’nurse a huge impact on your activity levels and it can seem tough’challenging’demanding’awkward to work exercise into your day without incurring the wrath of your boss. However, regular stretches are a great way to break up the day and keep you healthy. These can be done in your seat, or you could embark on work some lunges, quad stretches and arm rotations into your cover’budge to the kitchen.

When you do acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure a break, try and make the most of’utilize’take advantage of it. If you can, try and take a 10-minute cover’budge when you possess’own’nurse your lunch, or take the lift instead of the stairs. Stand up desks are becoming increasingly popular and give you the opportunity to shift your weight. You could also add ankle weights to allow you to do effective leg lifts under your desk, or turn typically immobile discussions into cover’budge ing meetings.

For any sedentary lifestyle, stretching is crucial. You can rotate your neck, pull your shoulder, bend your wrist and pull your chest all whilst sat in your seat. When you do possess’own’nurse the freedom to move, you can claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate with regards to’concerning’with respect to compound exercises such as planks, crouchs and crunches as well as cardio activities like cover’budge ing.

As a nation, it is estimated that we spend around 67 hours a week sitting down. That’s three whole days. When you embark on claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate with regards to’concerning’with respect to it in that context, it becomes eliminate’remove that we need to do something with regards to’concerning’with respect to it, even when our work environment does not necessarily lend itself to being active. A few small transform’alter s to a daily routine can possess’own’nurse a massive impact on your health and keep many serious conditions at bay no matter what job you do.