Fitness Challenge
I am a certified group fitness instructor for Aquatic Fitness and Pilates and have been teaching fitness for 10 years. Since starting my full time program for New Media, Web Design and Development at BCIT I have found it increasingly hard to incorporate exercise into my busy schedule. I used to teach 8 classes a week, now I only teach 2. With summer coming up, I have become increasingly aware of my need to step it up in the workout department. I have discovered a few ways to include some stretching and exercise into your usual daily routine.
Warm-up with Active Stretching:
Stretching is often overlooked, but it is vital before and after a workout. There are many stretches you can do while remaining seated at your desk. It’s a good idea to start off your day or prepare for a strenuous workout with active stretching. Rather than holding a stretch in the typical manner, your movements will be long and dynamic. It will prepare your muscles for exercise, increase flexibility and decrease your risk of injury.
Remember Your Posture:
Even when you are just sitting at your desk, it is important to be aware of your posture. Using your core and back muscles to maintain a good body alignment will ensure stress is properly distributed to your body. This will allow your muscles to work more efficiently and will decrease the chance of discomfort and injury. Poor posture can be caused by a number of things such as weak core strength or tight muscles.
While sitting at your desk working long hours on your computer try the following tips. Sit with your feet firmly on the floor and your knees and hips bent to 90 degrees. Roll your shoulders down and back so that you feel your shoulder blades come together and move down your back. Use your abdominals to tilt your pelvis forward ensuring that your back is in proper alignment. Avoid hunching forward with a rounded spine. Imagine there is a line from your ears to your shoulders and then your hips.
When I first started my program at BCIT, I noticed that working on my laptop was forcing my posture to be hunched. I purchased a laptop stand that is ergonomically designed to lift the laptop to the appropriate height for me to encourage better posture. Furthermore, to engage my abdominals I like to sit on an exercise ball when I work. It also allows me to stretch out over the ball occasionally. There are lots of chairs, balls and ergonomic devices that help you to achieve better posture, all you have to do is find the right solution for you!
Exercise Intermissions:
Sometimes I like to leave in the middle of a project for a quick workout. It can be as simple as standing up and jogging in the spot for a couple minutes or blasting some music for a quick dance party. Some of my favorite exercises include: squats, lunges, stairs, push-ups, tricep dips, planks and sit-ups. For a list of exercises you can do at work, check out Emily Milam’s blog Deskercise: 33 Ways Exercise at Work.
Cool Down with Static Stretching:
It is always a good idea to cool down your muscles and stretch following a workout. This is especially important after strenuous exercise and cardio. It is not good for your body to go from 0 to 100 and back to 0. This is why warming up and cooling down is so important.
A cool down will gradually allow your heart rate and breathing to lower to a comfortable level. For example, if you were doing a fast run, you should end it off with gradually slowing down into a walk. Cooling down and stretching after working out will decrease the chance of injury and allows your muscles to relax. It will also decrease muscle soreness.
You should hold each stretch for about 20-30 seconds and remember to breath comfortably through your nose and out your mouth. Use smooth and controlled movements and avoid bouncing stretches. You can deepen the stretch after a few seconds, but never to the point of pain. Try to stretch out your whole body paying special attention to the muscle groups you targeted the most during your workout. You can follow along with Fitness Blender’s cool down stretching video if you are unsure what to stretch.
Overall:
If you make fitness a routine part of your day, it will give you more energy in the long run. It is easy to fall off the fitness wagon; we have all been there. The goal is to make exercise a priority. Make time to go for a walk, bike ride, run, swim, fitness class, hit the gym or even just take a 5-minute exercise intermission every time you finish coding a new webpage.
When working out, ensure that you are aware of the proper posture for each movement so that you do not hurt yourself and you get your desired results. Warming up, cooling down and stretching is very important in order to avoid injury and increase flexibility. And now it is time for me to take my own advice and make sure that fitness becomes a regular part of my day again...