There is an unassembled standing desk to the right of me. I thought I should have a standing desk, because I read an article online that said sitting for long hours is worse than smoking. I don’t believe that, because monks sit all the time and they live virtually forever. But I do believe sitting in the capacity that I am sitting (writing tediously for hours on end, and occasionally scratching my leg) is not so good.
But I do neat little things to break it up, and I’d like to share a few of them with you so if you’d like to try them for yourself, you can. These are strategies—or movements, really—you can do here and there or at home or in the office, to add mobility and vigor, and energy of spirit and excitement of mind back into your day to day, and to break up the dull monotonous, humdrum routine of life as we know it.
Let’s begin…
Three Minute Mobility Routine
Here’s a routine that you’ll want to do multiple times throughout the day. You’ll thank me later when your neck stops resembling a vulture’s.
Tall Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
I write or do any other computer work from a tall kneeling hip flexor stretch every ten minutes or so.
Remember: The tall kneeling hip flexor stretch should be a hard, active push into the front of your hip. Squeeze your butt, and tilt your pelvic bowl upward as you drive your hip straight ahead (not down). Hit it for 10 seconds, relax, and then switch sides.
Kettlebell Swings
Bring a kettlebell into your office and set it somewhere obtrusive, then avow never to leave your office/cubicle/room/ whatever without first a set of 10 or 15 swings.
Roll the shoulders back and down, squeezing the lats, engage the glutes, and really dip into that hinge. All things that will combat the stiff achiness characteristic of sedentary labor.
Bodyweight Squat Holds
Get into a deep squat and sit there for 60 seconds five times an hour. Or, try this drill:
Finger and Wrist Mobility Drills
Desk jockeys (or anyone who does repetitive movements with their hands each day), take note, you’ll want to warm up your fingers and wrists before settling into the work day and even better if you can work in some breaks to mobilize these joints.
This particular routine has kept my wrists and fingers healthy despite decades of computer and guitar work for hours each day:
Join Strong ON! and Mobilize!
Mobility work is baked into Strong ON! programming. Generally speaking, we do specific mobility training sessions twice per week, and often, in the training sessions on other days, mobility exercises, including Hindu push-ups, Turkish get ups, windmills, and more, are included to limber up tight spots as we build muscle and strength.
Ready build muscle, blast fat, boost strength, and improve mobility…all in the same workout? All in 30 minutes or less?? Join us at Strong ON! The first week’s just $7.
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