Do you suffer the ill effects of sitting too much? As someone with a history of herniated discs and sciatica, I sure do.
There are days when I spend way too much time sitting working at the computer and end up sore and hunched over. Sitting too much is terrible for someone with a bad back.
Fortunately teaching several private yoga sessions helps a lot, so I'm not as bad off as those who are forced to sit for long stretches all day every day.
Sitting too much is hard on your whole body, not just your back. The negative effects of sitting too much keep piling up. Recent researchers have reported that sitting for long hours is linked to:
- Worse mental health
- A higher risk of death from heart disease and other causes
- A higher risk of being disabled
- High blood pressure
- Higher rates of obesity, cancer and type 2 diabetes
On the upside, we burn 30% more standing than sitting.
So I've been working on ways to move more throughout the day. Sometimes, instead of sitting I stand at the island in the kitchen. While this gets me on my feet, it's less than ideal for my posture because I end up hunching forward to type. I get up and out a few times to walk my dog and throughout the day I serve as her doorman getting up to let her in and out. Recently I've begun setting alarms on my phone to remind me to get up and move around for a few minutes ever hour. Every little bit helps.
When I came across this yoga video designed to counter the effects of prolonged sitting I was more than excited.
Easy Yoga Poses to Counter the Effects of Too Much Sitting
This simple yoga practice consists of four 5-minute stretch breaks that you can do whenever you have to sit too much. It is designed to release tension in the areas that get tight from prolonged sitting: lower back, upper back and hips.
You can do each part individually whenever you get up and move around, or you can combine them any way you like. The entire practice is done in standing position, so you don’t need a yoga mat or any other equipment. Though, it's best done with your shoes off.
I just did all four of the 5-minute yoga routines and think they're wonderful. Since it will take me a while to commit them to memory, I've created this post with the video embedded to refer to until then.
I hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think. If you suffer from the ill effects of sitting too much I think you'll find it beneficial too! Enjoy!
Source: sequencewiz.org
You might also like this detailed article about Yoga Standing Poses.
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