‘Sitting is the new smoking’ – it’s a phrase so overused, it’s starting to feel cliché. However, there’s still science behind it. Research has shown that not moving our bodies and standing up regularly can increase our risk of early death and be detrimental to our mental health.
Movement doesn’t have to be a dumbbell workout at home or even a walking workout, though, as good as these are. Dr Amir Khan, an NHS GP, frequent guest on ITV’s Lorraine and This Morning, and woman&home’s own resident doctor, took to Instagram recently to encourage us all to move by doing “tiny bits of movement” throughout the day.
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“Even if you do a workout, or other form of exercise in the morning or the evening, you still need bits of movement through the day,” says Dr Khan. “It’s not just about how much you move, it’s about how often you’re moving as well.”
Moving every 30 to 60 minutes for “just a few seconds” can “increase blood flow, improve insulin sensitivity, reduce back and shoulder pain and boost energy and concentration”, he explains, leading to “big health gains”.
“It’s a bit like pressing a reset button on your body. You just need to remind yourself that everybody needs a little bit of movement often, and your mind and body will thank you for it.”
Movement snacks to try1. Head, shoulder, and neck movement
When he’s not seeing patients, Dr Khan says he spends a lot of time sitting at his computer – as many of us do. This position can lead to tightness in the shoulders, upper back and neck. The first exercise tackles this problem.
How to do it:
Sit up straight and look forward.Roll your shoulder blades back and forward a few times.Tip your head back and forward gently a few times.Repeat the routine at least three times.
Doing this round of movement snacks a few times will loosen up any tightness in the chest and upper body that comes with rounding our shoulders, as many of us do naturally when typing or watching television.
2. Leg exercises
Moving on to the lower body for some hip and quadricep exercises for better mobility. When we’re sitting down, our hip muscles are held in a shortened position. When we stand, they lengthen. If we spend a lot of time sitting down, these muscles stay in this shortened position for a little too long, so they become tighter and weaker over time.
Try this exercise to loosen them up:
Sit on a chair with your legs at 90 degrees.Lift up one leg above hip height.Rotate your ankle around a few times.Repeat the routine on the other leg.3. Side stretch
Now for a full-body side stretch, which “just lengthens everything out” when you’ve been sat down and hunched over a desk.
This is a really good move for opening up the shoulders and upper back, and stretching the abdomen and core muscles.
Here’s how to do it:
Stand up with your feet hip-width apart.Reach one arm up over your head and pull your arm over to your other side of your body, leaning gently.Repeat on the other side.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of moves – and we need to do more exercise than this every day to stay healthy. The NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise every week.
However, adding in these key movement snacks can help stretch and loosen these key muscles, preventing discomfort in the short term.
Looking to create an at-home routine? Here are a few more movement snacks to try:
Touch your toes: Bending down to touch your toes, or get close to your toes, will stretch out your hamstrings and your lower and upper back.Lunges: Lunges are one of the best glute exercises, and we can loosen up the entire lower body by stepping forward on one leg at a time in this movement.Child’s pose: This popular Pilates and yoga move probably isn’t one you’d do in an office, but it’s a great stretch for your back and hip flexors.Feet stretches: Rolling a small ball under your feet can stop the muscles in your feet from becoming tight. You can do this while you’re sitting down working.