Think about sitting for 7 to 8 hours a day. What happens to our bodies when we sit down all day, whether you’re in an office cubicle, or in your own home office? It is important to remember to get up and move. Timing short breaks more frequently, rather than taking one long break, helps our bodies with circulation. Our bodies need circulation and by giving yourself a quick stretch or chair yoga movement with breath can make a world of difference. AARP offers a free chair yoga plan with ten-minute poses to get your body moving, warm-ups, spine and core exercises, leg and hip exercises, and full body stretches. Key benefits are improved strength, flexibility, balance, and posture. Chair yoga can reduce pain and fatigue, while enhancing mental clarity and relaxation.
My experience with working in a cubicle, behind a computer screen for 7 to 8 hours a day, involved grazing and lack of mobility. Let me rewind… I was always an active person growing up. I waitressed 5 days a week, babysat every weekend for multiple families with several kids, and I was always playing sports. Basketball, softball, rollerblading, ice-skating, soccer, hockey, volleyball, swimming, dance – you name it, we were doing it! We were an active generation and we rarely sat down, unless we were on long trips driving.
Fast forward to 2015, I acquired my first cubicle office job. It took about four years to realize how unhealthy I had become in such a short period of time. While I snacked or grazed while doing my work, I was gaining weight tremendously fast. Not only was the stress of reading reports and making phone calls consistently calling for my attention, but I never stopped to get up and stretch. I had my snacks right in reach for the day. Many other people in our office did the same; it was the norm. I recall having co-workers, who had been in the industry thrice as long as me, dealing with severe health issues.
I didn’t quite understand at the time what a little mindfulness in making better lifestyle choices could do for my health and my career. The epitome of my unhealthy streak was during the pandemic in 2019, while I was beginning to earn my bachelors degree from home, and trying to homeschool 2 children, and work part-time on a zoom classroom setting. Stress+grazing-physical movement = high blood pressure! I had no time for exercising, and rarely got up to go anywhere, and I needed to find solutions for my health quickly. Doctors and dieticians, nutritionists and therapists could not wave their magic wands and fix my problem. I needed to rewind years of sedentary work life and start a new leaf, working actively to heal damage I had unknowingly done. After gaining more than 50 pounds and trying every diet in the book, never losing more than 17 lbs each diet, I needed to change my career again and get moving again. I needed to practice moving around all day and constantly have the option to move when I wanted or needed to. My body was conditioned to do so when I was younger. I still pack snacks, but now I have scheduled ten-minute breaks to have my snack. I make a protein shake with chia and flax seeds for my breakfast on the go. I pack a protein-filled lunch with veggies and fruit or nuts, and drink at least 32 ounces of water during my work day. A general guideline is we are supposed to drink a number of ounces equal to half our body weight in pounds, each day. Everyone’s body is different, so water intake can be individualized based on thirst and how much water you consume from other sources like fruits or veggies.
Everyone’s body type and genetics are different, so everyone’s diet may look different. The Mayo Clinic offers a free personal diet plan online. With all the research, and helpful hints from practitioners in the health and medical field, I had to figure out what worked best for me. An anti-inflammatory diet is best for me and makes me feel my best! Water keeps me hydrated, and I got a job that keeps me moving. A combination of yoga and pilates first thing in the morning gets me moving, and walking as much as possible throughout the day makes me feel at my best. I stand on my heels, and stretch my neck and torso when needed. I think if I’d had these tools when I was in my cubicle job, I wouldn’t have gotten to the breaking point that I did. Supporting mental health and physical health with the proper food intake and hydration is key to keeping our vessels intact and comfortable, either sitting or standing.
References
How to Calculate How Much Water You Should Be Drinking. Jennifer Stone, University of Missouri Systems. https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/wellness/how-to-calculate-how-much-water-you-should-drink
10-Minute Chair Yoga Flow With Lorraine Ladish, AARP. https://www.aarp.org/videos/health/fitness/6148434772001/
20 minute Chair Yoga For Beginners, Seniors, & Desk Workers/Full Body Stretch. https://youtu.be/7yjPnhRbcV0?si=0zz5f0_m336S5dvU