Commentary by Seth Tucker
As many people are working from home during the quarantine, it can be easy to let the hours slip by without taking a break from sitting. While the negative health consequences of sitting for long periods are well established, many aren’t exactly sure what can be done about it. The good news is this can be remedied.
One remedy is to set a repeating reminder on your phone to alert you when it’s time to get up and move at regular intervals throughout the day. That may be as simple as a walk around the house or a few squats and/or lunges. I recommend finding a movement that challenges both your strength and balance, such as a lunge, Bulgarian split squat, push-ups or even pull-ups, and then perform half the number of reps you are capable of whenever the reminder alerts you. For example, if you are able to perform 10 lunges on each leg, only do five on each leg. This is a good supplement to an already established workout schedule and a great way to begin moving and feeling better if you’ve not been very active.
You will find it becomes increasingly easy to perform the movement, not just because your muscles are adapting but also because your nerves get better at transmitting the signal to activate the necessary muscles. Think of it like improving the efficiency of an engine to increase a car’s horsepower, resulting in better performance. This tool can be utilized to fix weaknesses and imbalances we all suffer from in our day-to-day activities. You may not realize just how much these imbalances hinder normal movement until you begin to fix them. But very quickly, normal daily activities can suddenly feel much easier. For example, carrying loads to or from your vehicle, picking up a heavy laundry basket or catching yourself when you trip or lose your balance.
It’s worth taking the time to make sure you are performing the movements properly so you don’t end up causing an injury. I recommend recording your attempts on your phone so you can review and compare them with the proper-form videos you can easily find on YouTube.
