They say sitting is the new smoking. There are some alarming statistics out there about how dangerous sitting is for the human body; how the body is simply not designed to sit in a chair, largely immobile for most of its waking hours. And yet, for many of us, there is no option but to sit – our jobs and our lifestyles demand this. So what can we do to lower the harmful effects of sitting for a major part of the day?
Why sitting is the new smoking
Studies have shown that sitting largely immobile at a desk or similar for several hours of the day increases risk of several diseases; in much the same way as smoking does. The body’s muscles are negatively affected, as is the mood, and organ function becomes sluggish and poor. Considering that about 80% of urban office jobs require little or no physical activity, this is alarming. Most office workers sit for about 12 hours in a day, work for about 9 hours and even on weekends; we end up sitting for about 8 hours or so. In the last few decades lifestyles have become even more sedentary, which has exacerbated the problem.
You can do yoga at your desk
Get up and take frequent breaks. So rather than ask the office peon to run errands, do them yourself: getting yourself a cup of tea, sending a document to a colleague, fetching a file, making a photocopy, going over to speak in person rather than making a phone call. (This also reinforces dignity of labor when we do our own small jobs, I feel). Experts recommend standing up frequently during the work day and doing as much work as possible standing up. Avoid having lunch at your desk. Instead try and step out of office; maybe take a short walk, climb a few flights of stairs.
Seated at your desk, you can do these yoga poses to stretch your muscles, get your circulation going and counter the ill effects of sitting for long periods:
- Eye yoga – direct your gaze to the sides, up and down and in circular motions. Concentrate on a point 20 feet beyond your computer screen for 20 seconds several times a day.
- Do wrist and finger stretches every couple of hours: rotate the wrists and use one hand to stretch the other arm.
- Try to do at least some of your sitting cross legged on your chair (if your formal attire and office atmosphere permit this).
- Do the seated crescent moon pose (ardh chandrasan) seated at your desk. Point one arm up in the air with the other pointing down towards the ground. Alternate.
- Do the seated tadasan: bring both palms up to face each other over the head, while stretching up the arms. You can also do this while standing up when you take a break from work or have to run some errand.
- Do the desk plank pose (Kumbhakasana) by resting your hands on your desk and keeping the body at a 45 degree angle to the ground.
Take short breaks throughout the day to do these yoga poses every few hours. It is not only great for your health, it will also help to clear your mind and help it refocus on your work.