Why regular exercise is more than just back exercises

Many millions of people work in the office today. They often spend six to nine hours sitting Desk. Sitting for long periods of time causes back pain and tension for many people. However, a lack of exercise can also lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Do you sit in the office for several hours every day and would like to prevent this by exercising at work? We give you tips on how to move more in the office.

Table of Contents

Why is exercise so important in the workplace?

Studies have shown that a German office worker spends an average of 80,000 hours of their working life sitting. Adults sit an average of 7.5 hours a day. However, studies indicate that sitting for long periods of time not only causes back problems, but also increases the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. If you want to ensure better health and well-being at work, you should ensure more exercise at work. Everyday office life needs to be made much more varied and active in order to prevent the negative consequences of sitting for long periods of time

Why should I get up and walk around regularly?

Transferring sport and exercise to your free time is a good start, but it is not a solution to the problem. It is not enough to just focus on your body after work and on weekends. Experts warn that anyone who doesn't make enough time for exercise at work will end up taking a lot of time later for various illnesses. A large proportion of sickness reports can already be traced back to postural and musculoskeletal problems. Back pain is one of the consequences that almost every office worker knows from their everyday work. Back exercises and stretching exercises alone are not enough to compensate for the lack of exercise in the office. You don't have to expect top athletic performance from yourself, it's just a matter of becoming more active. Everyday working life must be thought through and filled with small units of movement. The results of a study by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden suggest that it is more important for your health to move your muscles a little now and then than to put a lot of strain on them during sports sessions.

What happens to my blood vessels when I sit for a long time?

If you sit for many hours every day and hardly get any exercise during your day-to-day work, this can not only have a negative effect on your back and neck, it can also damage your blood vessels. If there is a lack of exercise, blood flow is also affected. You don't feel this impairment at first, but the consequences of sitting for a long time can often not be overlooked. Legs feel heavy and feet are swollen. Blood flow is supported, especially in the legs, by movement and the muscles in the legs. The oxygen-poor blood must be transported back to the heart against gravity. Movement supports this process. If you sit for many hours a day, blood transport becomes more difficult.

In addition to the veins, the arteries can also be affected by lack of exercise. Increased blood lipid levels and deposits on the vessel walls can occur. Experts also see the lack of exercise as a reason for the increased occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. If you exercise regularly, you can also keep your blood vessels healthy.

Why do my legs sometimes hurt when I sit for a long time in the office?

Static sitting for hours can have an adverse effect on blood circulation in the legs. After a long day at the office, many people complain about tired, swollen legs. An unpleasant tingling sensation may also be felt. Sometimes there is also pain. It has long been known that sitting in a car or plane for long periods of time can have a negative effect on your legs. But this danger also exists in the office. If you sit at a table for several hours a day, your body will most likely send warning signals at some point. Leg pain in the office may occur after a long day spent sitting at the office desk. The cause can be, for example, circulatory problems caused by sitting. In any case, you should have leg pain checked by a doctor. It can also be caused by serious illnesses such as thrombosis.

What can I do to move more around the office?

According to experts, damage caused by sitting in the office for too long can be avoided. The first step is to set up the office ergonomically. These are suitable for this Office furniture like an ergonomic one Office chair and an ergonomic office table. Ergonomics in the workplace represents the basis. It is also important to keep the sitting phases as short as possible and to break them up again and again with small units of movement. You should therefore not only make sitting as ergonomic as possible with ergonomic office furniture, but also regularly stretch your legs in the office. With these tips you can ensure more movement at work every day:

• Use meetings, phone calls, and lunch breaks to run. That doesn't mean you should jog, but for example, answer calls while standing and walk around the room while you talk. Meetings don't necessarily have to be held sitting down; take a short walk with the people you're talking to and use the lunch break for a small group.
• In everyday life, avoid elevators and escalators and prefer to walk.
• Consciously park further away from the office or get off a stop or two earlier so that you can walk part of the way.
• If you want more exercise in the office, you should drink lots of water. Frequent trips to the toilet automatically mean more exercise.
• Alternate between sitting and standing when working at a desk. A height-adjustable table can be of good use here.
• If trash cans, printers, scanners and copiers are placed a little further away from your seat, you have to get up regularly. Such measures also encourage more movement in the workplace.
• An ergonomic rule states that you should sit for a maximum of 40 minutes in an hour. Another 15 minutes should be spent standing. The last 5 minutes you move actively.

Conclusion

Moving at work – walking in the office is not a luxury. Getting exercise at work is important for you Health at work. Those who are healthy and feel well can concentrate better and carry out their work effectively. Regularly interrupt your periods of sitting in the office and incorporate small units of movement. Alternate between sitting, standing and walking to target as many muscle groups as possible. More movement in the workplace is an investment in the health and well-being of employees and ergonomic office furnishings are the first step in this direction.