It's a bit of a no-brainer but if you keep sitting at your computer all afternoon without getting up and stretching out a bit - you're going to turn to cement.
But whatever your job is it's a good idea to stop periodically throughout the day and loosen up
The Japanese automobile manufacturers have been doing this for years. They blow a horn and the whole entire assembly line stops and shuts down for 10 -15 minutes and the whole entire company does callestenics and then they all go back to work again. Do you think that is why the average Japanese worker reports higher job-satisfaction than is in this country or why Japanese cars have a reputation of being better built?
In this country we take a cigarette or coffee break...Go figure!
But, really, why should you take a break?
Well, for a number of reasons: from a purely mechanical standpoint, your joints lubricate themselves and maintain their own internal health all by themselves...but only when they are moving. So, if you want to keep them loose and mobile so you can play golf this saturday you have to work at keeping them moving all during the week as well.
Your lymphatic system which is an integral part of your immune system only moves lymphatic fluid along its vessels because of muscular contraction throughout the rest of the body. So, if you don't move and contract your muscles ...you don't move your lymphatic fluid - can you guess how that will not help your immune system?
When you breathe - inhale and exhale, you generally do not completely change ALL of the air in your lungs. The result is there is always a bit of stagnant residual air left behind in your lungs. Much of this is full of carbon monoxide, nitric oxide and other garbage that isn't all that good for you. If you exercise and force yourself to take really deeeeeep breaths you will clean this garbage air out and you can start over with lungs full of good clean air. Your muscles, your brain and all of the rest of will really feel the difference quickly.
If you stimulate better circulation ( think increased oxygen to the brain...), by doing this do you think it might make you feel a little more alert and able to focus on your work
People frequently come in to see me with neck and back complaints that stem, in large part, from being too sedentary and if we could just get them moving a little bit more everyday - they'd feel lots better.
Try it - get off your butt, stand up and do a few jumping jacks (how about 25?), do a push up or two,...(think 30 -50) do a few squats, shadow box a bit, run in place a for a minute or two (how about run up 10 flights of stairs real quick instead?), and get back to work
Do it NOW - This shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes.
Now it only becomes helpful if you do it all of the time. You have to make it a habit to do it several times per day. So write yourself a reminder on a sticky post it pad and put it on your computer screen or someother place where you're sure to see it.
Habits take 2 weeks to form so yo'll have to work at reminding yourself to do this but once it's in-grained in you you'll never look back and ask yourself "Why the heck am I doing this nonsense?"
Here's a crazy idea - start a thing in your office and get everybody else doing it too
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