Exercise The Easy Way, Part 1

The most elementary principle of exercise is that almost any form of gentle and slow movement will rest muscles that are tired from being in one position too long.

You can exercise anywhere – even at work – whether your job be reading, writing, typing, cooking, or any number of “sitting-down” jobs.  Stop frequently and turn your head from side to side, slowly and gently.  Or stand up and bend over from the waist without straining.  Let your whole upper body hang limp as possible.  Let your arms dangle as though they belong to a rag doll.  When you straighten up, you will be surprised at the relaxed feelings in those tired muscles.  Remember, when you exercise, take slow deep breaths to recharge your body.

“Exercise can help you only if you make it part of your daily routine,” says Shelley Liebman, author of an informative book, Do It At Your Desk: An Office Worker’s Guide to Fitness and Health.

Liebman suggests that you set realistic goals for yourself.  And how do you do it? Just this: If you can’t find an hour, don’t forget the whole thing – take half an hour; if you can’t find an hour, 15 minutes will do.  What if you still can’t find the time? Five minutes will do – better than nothing. The idea is to fit exercise into your schedule.

Most of you will agree that one of the biggest excuses for not exercising is “I don’t have the time.”  But keeping fit doesn’t require hours every day, as Liebman emphasizes.  Neither are you going to commit yourself to running two kilometers or more a day.  In fact, those unrealistic goals usually end up discouraging most of you from exercising at all.  Only the most determined will really stick to running a kilometer or two a day.

Teach yourself to integrate physical activity into your everyday routine.  As Liebman puts it:  “If you don’t have time to swim laps, concentrate on rotating your ankles and wrists while talking on the phone.  If you don’t have time to jog around the track, take a brisk walk on your lunch hour.  Avoid the elevator.  Give your body a chance to stretch.  Try pressing your lower back into your chair as you type.  Press and release – it’s a good, realistic beginning.”

Sitting at a desk all day can cause a variety of problems such as varicose veins, lower back problems and stiff necks, resulting from a combination of insufficient blood circulation, poor posture and bad chairs.  A touch of anxiety or tension can make those problems even worse.  You may not be able to do anything about the bad chair but you can deal with your posture and lack of activity.  How? We will discuss the ways on how best to maintain good posture and lessen muscle aches and pains in nest week’s posting.