Ask the Fitness Expert

Q: I’m desk-bound for at least 8 hours a day, which can be grueling on my back, neck, and shoulders. Is there anything I can be doing to help counteract this?

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A: Work life, for many of us, involves being parked and inactive behind a desk half of our waking day. In fact, millions of Americans suffer from back pain due to an overly sedentary lifestyle. Our Blink members tell me all the time that they don’t have enough time to go to the gym and get an effective workout. Yet with just 45 minutes—with the right workout—you’ll be able to counteract the effects of sitting all day. I recommend dividing your workout time into three parts: 20 minutes of cardio, 20 minutes of strength training, and 5 minutes of stretching.

First, let’s talk cardio. It should be no surprise that muscles are three-dimensional, so we want to make sure our workouts are targeting our muscles efficiently. Choose a pre set program on a machine (i.e. treadmill, bike, etc.) that offers various levels of intensity for 20 minutes. For instance, “hill” or “random” are traditional settings found on all cardio equipment at Blink.

Once you’ve done your cardio, it’s time to head over to the strength training area. If you’re new to strength training, you first and foremost want to make sure that your routine is focusing on four major muscle groups (specifically when looking to relieve your body of any pains or aches associated from too much sitting): the glutes, belly, chest, and hamstrings.

For those of you who would like to kick your existing routine up a notch, I suggest adding some instability to it in order to more fully engage your muscles. A couple of examples of adding in instability include doing your exercises on a physio ball instead of a bench or standing on one leg. If this sounds intimidating at first, I recommend signing up for a personal training session. At Blink, our trainers are committed to designing a routine that fits your needs and lifestyle.

Last, but certainly not least, is stretching. If you spend most of your day sitting, you’ll want to be sure to dedicate about five minutes to stretching out your hip flexors, hamstrings, and abdominals. Blink’s stretch areas make this part easy with simple to follow visual aids that help make sure you’re stretching properly.

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