Let’s face it…sitting at a desk all day is no fun. Not only is it no fun, it is dangerous! Yikes…sorry to lay that one on you but it’s true. There are as many health risks associated with sitting all day as there are for smoking and being over-weight. Wow…I just brought the mood down a ton.
But wait! There are things you can do. Walk over to a colleague’s desk instead of emailing them, start drinking more water (you’ll have to walk to the water cooler more often…and walk to the bathroom more often…see, I think of everything!) OR, you can participate in the Great Gumby Project.
What you will do is get up at least twice a day at work and stretch. Do the following routine and you’ll feel like a million bucks…ok, $750,000 after the exchange rate. I selected this routine because it targets muscles typically found as being tight in those that sit all day. Do each stretch (or pick your favourites if time is limited) for 30 seconds each.
So get up, stretch, feel better and congratulate yourself for taking part in the Great Gumby Project!
The Name | The Reason | The Move |
Calf Stretch | Wearing any footwear with a heel keeps the calf in a shortened position. You need to stretch the calf muscles often to counteract the bad effects of office footwear. If you don’t wear high heels…do it anyway! |
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Chest Stretch | While sitting at a desk all day, your shoulders tend to round forward. This causes your pecs to become functionally shorter. Want to fix that? Do this stretch…and yes, both sides. |
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Wrist Flexion/Extension | If you spend time at a keyboard then you need this. Plus, if you do this in the hallway at work people will think you are directing traffic…and that’s cool |
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Upper Trapezius | Your neck and shoulders get stiff after a hard day in front of the computer terminal (Online crosswords don’t finish themselves afterall) |
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Levator Scapulae Stretch | What a name! same type of stretch as above but you turn your head as if looking down
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Sternocleidomastoid Stretch | Ya…don’t even try to pronounce this one. But if you do, you will have hours of fun just saying it over and over again. Same type of stretch but this time you are looking up |
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Static Standing Hip Flexor Stretch
**You get BONUS points if you do the kneeling hip flexor stretch!!** | Sitting makes for tight hip flexors. This leads to aching backs and that is no good. 3 parts to this stretch. *one leg back, back foot rotated inward and arm in the air **Now bend slightly to the side ***And twist your body slightly as shown |
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Latissimus Dorsi Stretch | Tight “lats” is another common tight area and another contributor to back pain. Ok, maybe you don’t have a stability ball at work but you can still do this one against your desk or a wall. |
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Seated Spinal Stretch | Reason? It just feels good! |
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Hamstring Stretch | Sitting in a knee-flexed position all day means you need to stretch your hamstrings and lower back |
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We all know people that obsess with getting down to a certain weight. They measure and weigh every ounce of food that goes into their body, they are looking at their Fitbit every 3-minutes to calculate their daily steps all while their cortisol levels go up and up from the stress of trying to manage it all. To me, it would seem better if we took an approach of managing our weight instead of obsessing with reaching an ideal number.
There are so many factors that go into the how and why we eat the way we do. I’ve outlined some elements that influence why we eat the way we do, why we may gain weight and what your new goal to manage your weight should be. It’s certainly not an exhaustive list but here goes:
Factors That Affect Our Eating
Environmental & Social Factors:
- People tend to eat more in cold weather. The hypothalamus-which regulates body temperature-links temperature and eating behavior
- Plate Size—People tend to eat everything that is on their plate regardless of the size of the plate. The bigger the plate, the more we eat
- Dim lighting, such as a dark restaurant, encourages people to eat more
- People tend to eat more in a social setting. When eating with a group we often eat more and our self-monitoring decreases.
Emotional:
- Stress increases our food intake
- People tend to eat more as a distraction form anxiety or loneliness
Sensations In The Stomach:
- As food fills the stomach, signals are sent to the brain suppressing our urge to eat however, as we taste, salivate, chew and swallow the brain measures the passage of food—even if the food never reaches the stomach. For this reason, even chewing gum can satisfy your hunger in the short term.
Factors in the Development of Weight Gain
Biological:
- Genetics play a big part in how you will look and the way you store fat
- Genetics plays a role in how much we want to move and exercise. Some people, because of genetics, are simply “programmed” to not want to exercise. This can be overcome though.
Sex & Age:
- Males are less likely to view themselves as being overweight
- Adolescents worry more about weight and appearance
- Adult women tend to see themselves as being overweight even when they are a healthy weight
- As we get older, our resting metabolic rate decreases.
Social & Environment:
- People with lower income tend to be more overweight. This is due, in part, to lower cost and convenience of packaged foods
- Those with less access to parks, sidewalks, safe environments are less active leading to increased weight.
- Advertisements that promote less healthy food options affect the choices we make in the supermarket
Lifestyle:
- The lack of physical activity is a contributor to weight gain
- 22% of people get the recommended amount of daily activity
- Excessive TV watching or eating your meals in front of the TV.
Your Goals for Weight Management
Your goal shouldn’t be to reach a specific body weight but rather achieve a body weight that emphasizes health over aesthetics. Aim for metabolic health which means to have normal cholesterol levels, normal blood sugar levels and normal blood pressure.
There are many factors to successful weight management and it includes a balanced diet, physical activity and some behavior change strategies (all of which are topics on their own) but it also includes self-acceptance. Remember; to a large degree we will be limited by our genes so have realistic beliefs of yourself. We all come in a variety of shapes and sizes and contrary to the media; there is no ideal body size or weight. Surround yourself with people that make you feel good about the skin you’re in. Good health is not just physical but it also involves mental and social well-being too.
How Do I Gain Weight
While it’s not as common a goal as losing weight, there are a significant number of people that have weight gain as their goal. The reasons are as varied as the individuals but could include wanting to gain weight for a sport, wanting to put on some pounds after rehabilitating from an injury or you are just underweight and have trouble making the scale go up or your Doctor has asked you to gain weight.
Before heading out on your weight gain journey, I would be remiss if I didn’t encourage you to visit your Dr. for a checkup first. It may be that you aren’t even underweight. While I’m not a fan of the BMI, underweight is defined as having a BMI under 18.5. (The media plays a big role in how we view our bodies and it may just be that you are fine in the skin you’re in) However, there may be medical reasons why you find it hard to gain weight and your Doctor will be a good place to start. Ok, all cleared by your Doctor? Then let’s look at ways to help you put on some pounds.
Gaining weight will generally follow the same formula as losing weight—but in reverse. If calories in has to be lower than calories out to lose weight, then it stands to reason that the reverse of that will have the opposite effect---and it does! So the scientific universal formula for weight gain is calories in must be greater than calories out.
It seems simple and all you have to do is increase your daily allotment of McBurgers right? Well, not so fast. You want to do this thing right and in a healthy way—and slowly. So without further ado, here are some tips for your bag of tricks.
NUTRITION
1. 
Determine how many calories you are taking in now and how many calories you need based on your daily activity. You can use an online tool for this (or I have a good one in in a .pdf document that I can email you if you like!) Whatever the number, it represents the number of calories that you need just to maintain the weight that you are at (I know, I ended my sentence with a preposition-I’m crazy like that) Now that you know what the number is, you need to increase you r daily caloric intake by, oh, let’s start with a 500 calorie per day increase. When you gain or lose weight or change your activity level or have changes in health then your caloric needs change so always keep updated with what your caloric target is. Food diaries are a great tool, especially at the beginning.
2. Try to eat more often—YEAH!! If you eat 3 meals a day then try adding a couple healthy snacks throughout the day.
3. When you do eat your regular meals, increase your portion size. If snack #1 was going to be a yogurt (I know…yuck!) then have 2 yogurts instead. At dinner, have a second serving of veggies. The goal is to try to increase your portion sizes with each meal
4. 
Focus on good foods. Whole grain breads are dense and you can cut thick slices and put on your favourite topping like peanut butter, honey, hummus….Mmmmm. When picking veggies pick the ones that have less water content. Things like cucumbers have a lot of water so will make you seem more full while taking but you take in less calories…you don’t want that…you want potatoes, carrots, corn etc. Same goes for fruit…pick the more dense ones like a banana over an orange (dried fruits are good!)
5. Fats are where it’s at (My momma said I was always good at rhyming words) Fats are so good because they pack 9 calories per gram while carbs and protein only have 4 the losers. BUT…pick healthy fats. Nuts, seeds, peanut butter, avacados, hummus, oils…all good! And the good thing is you can add some of these to everything you eat. Cooking eggs? Cook them in oil…Having toast? Spread on some hummus…Having a salad or cereal? Sprinkle on some nuts or seeds and add some more oil to your salad. You can add healthy fats any time you sit down to eat. Toss some dried fruit on a salad or granola. Top your potatoes with oil or cheese or go wild and throw some chili on top of them.
6. Sick of eating? Drink your calories. There are lots of healthy meal replacement drinks that are good but why not make your own smoothie? Make it with milk, fruit, honey…whatever…then sprinkle in some seeds. You can also try replacing some of your water intake with juices or the occasional sport drink.
7. Remember, slow gain is the best. To increase your weight too rapidly only increases the chances that the weight you gain will be from fat mass and not lean body mass. A gain of about one half to one pound per week should be your target.
EXERCISE
1. 
Gain some muscle. You want to make sure that you add some lean muscle and that all your weight gain isn’t just from fat. If you incorporate a resistance routine three times per week (like body weight exercises or lifting weights) then you can gain some lean muscle mass and what’s even better…the increased workload may even boost your appetite…WIN!! If you want to gain muscle mass then add in some extra protein to your meals too. Protein intake that is too low can actually make you lose body mass so keep your intake to a healthy level. Beans, peanuts, chicken, tuna…all good! IMPORTANT—increasing your resistance training WILL NOT make you look like the woman in this picture!
2. Avoid extra “cardio” type workouts like jogging and just focus on resistance exercise.
3. After a workout, have a light snack that includes protein such as an egg on toast, whole wheat crackers with cheese or simply a glass of chocolate milk. The protein will be building blocks to help repair and build muscle after your exercise.
4. Incorporate a stretching routine into your day. Ok, this in itself won’t help you gain weight, but with the extra resistance training, stretching will help keep your body free from pain and keep your body moving properly.
SUPPORT
**Tell friends and family what your goals are so they can be involved and help to support you in your goals. Join an online group with other like-minded individuals so that you always have someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of. Don’t discount this—having the proper support is key to anything in life.
If you concentrate on health as your goal by moving your body everyday and introducing more whole, natural foods into your diet then weight loss just happens as a by-product (this fact is key to remember). If you focus on weight loss then people tend to get caught up in the numbers....the scale, body measurements, weighting food etc. It doesn't have to be that complicated.
Focus on being healthy and happy---and by the way, healthy happens at all body sizes (it's called metabolic health and yes, it's a thing) So here's what happens when you focus on health:
- You normalize your blood pressure
- you decrease risk of heart disease and some cancers
- Your flexibility increases
- You can keep up with your kids
- You sleep better
- The sun looks brighter
- The grass looks greener
- The air smells fresher
There is no magic number on the scale where the above happens. Move more, eat better and the above can happen at almost any weight.
By getting caught up in the numbers you miss the ride---you miss the life going on around you. Here;s what happens when you focus on weight:
- Can lead to stress (you are always chasing some elusive number)
- Can lead to unhealthy relationships with food
- Can lead to unhealthy body image issues
No need for fancy equipement or the latest fitness techniques. Moving more is easy! Go for a walk at lunch or after dinner. Try taking up gardening. Use the stairs a little more than you do now. Play hide-and-seek with your kids.
So is it easy to focus on living a healthier life? Nope...there are days when you don't feel like moving. There are days when you what a cookie instead of an apple. I have a name for people like this...I call them normal! But focus on little steps. Just very small changes over time and remember....never give up
Here are the exercises you will see in the video for your world class routine: - Ball Crunch: Targets the “6-pack” muscles (8-pack really if you were to count them) because you are flexing the spine. Note that there aren’t upper and lower abs---it’s all one long muscle (with connective tissue—that’s the white spaces you see in the pictures) This is why you can’t really target “lower abs”; it’s all or nothing. Being on a stability ball adds to strengthening the stabilizer muscles.
- Med Ball Lift and Chop: While all your ab muscles are responsible for rotation, this exercise hits the oblique muscles with its twisting movement.
- Plank: You just can’t get away from it—the plank is awesome for increasing your stabilization. It hits the transverse abdominus and the muscles around your spine.
- Two-Leg Floor Bridge: Another great exercise for strengthening and stabilizing the muscles around your spine
- Traditional sit-up: In a traditional sit-up you are really bending at the hip (called hip flexion) Abdominal muscles are not responsible for hip flexion therefore a sit-up isn’t the best choice for targeting the area.
- Leg Raises: Again, this exercise primarily involves hip flexion so no need to do them. Especially since most people already have overactive hip flexors from sitting all day. No need to strengthen a muscle that is already too strong
- Crunches with hands behind the head: Never clasp your hands behind your head during a crunch. You will strain your neck and possibly cause injury.
I'm willing to bet that your fitness program is missing balance training. With everyone's rush to the latest class that promises to make you "fit or die trying" most people don't realize that there is more to overall health than just lifting weights until you bleed. You may not even realize how much time you actually spend on one leg. Walking for instance is almost exclusively done on one leg
Play a sport? Then balance training is a must if you want to get serious and leave the competition behind...the pros know it and now you do too!
Balance training is also important in fall prevention as we get older. Make no mistake, balance training is an important aspect of overall health and fitness. There are many exercises you can do in a balance program but here are 5 world class moves that you can incorporate into your program ---even as part of the warm
Have a look at the video to see the gold standard of balance moves. There are other great routines, but this should get you started
**First move-Single leg balance. Looks easy but it will be challenging at first. Find it too easy? Ok...do the move with your eyes closed...it will change EVERYTHING
**Single Leg Balance Reach--Adds a new twist with adding movement while maintaining balance.
**Single Leg Romanian Deadlift--Its still balance but now adding a strength component
**The last 2 moves are more advanced. Single leg box hops should only be done after you already have a baseline of balance. The last 2 moves are box jumps done in two different planes of motion called the sagittal plane and the transverse plane
We are bombarded every day with fitness images of perfect people in workout clothes or bikinis (like people really work out in bikinis??) accompanied by cute little quotes like "Sweat is fat crying" or "if you don't puke, bleed or faint--keep going"
Well...most people I know don't look like the folks in those ads nor do they have the time to train 5 hours a day and sending those messages is just plain not healthy!. Don't exercise to be skinny, exercise with a goal of being healthy. Healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes but saying you are good enough doesn't sell gym memberships.
The body is made for movement so move a little every day and cut back (not eliminate!) junk food if you need to. It's ok to pursue health over aesthetics.
So the other day I went through some exercises that are designed to correct muscle imbalances specifically found in the chest and back area that can affect movement at the shoulder. Today it’s all about the lower back and how to correct low back arch.
You can do a movement assessment called the Overhead Squat Assessment to identify a low back arch but often times you don’t even need that. Simply looking at someone as they stand in their natural stance can reveal a low back arch…like the gentleman to the left in the photo. What we have going on here are overactive muscles at the front of the body (pulling the body forward) and weak muscles on the posterior side.
This muscle imbalance can cause hamstring, quadriceps and groin strain as well as low back pain. Always seek medical advice if you have low back pain but short of a medical condition, low back pain can be associated with muscular imbalances and there is something you can do about it. As with all imbalances, the causes can be many including stress, previous injury, repetitive movements, poor form during exercise but given that a major cause of low back arch is tight hip flexors and weak butt muscles then it’s not too hard to determine that sitting at your desk all day is the one major factor in contributing to this.
Because the body is one long chain of connected parts what happens in one part of the body can create problems in other areas as well. **Having the muscular imbalances that cause low back arch can also affect your mobility by decreasing your hip extension, decreasing shoulder flexion and decreasing your ability to internally rotate your hips.
To assess the low back arch, you can again try the Overhead Squat Assessment. To start, you are going to stand tall with feet straight and shoulder width apart.
Front View 
Side View
From this position, begin to do a squat. The picture on the left shows perfect form while the picture on the right shows an arched back.
The the .pdf link below will outline a great routine that addresses these imbalances and helps put things back to normal. The routine is called a corrective exercise sequence and it can be performed daily as a warm-up before your regular exercise routine, part of your cool-down after exercising or all on its own.
The routine has videos of each exercise so just click on the video to start playback.
Coaching Tips
- Perform the Corrective Exercise program prior to beginning your exercise program.
- Perform the Corrective Exercise program on days you are not performing your training program to maintain optimal range of motion and strength.
- Performing the foam roll and static stretching components of your Corrective Exercise program immediately after your workout will help with overall recovery and muscle soreness.
- Because your hip flexors and lat muscles are already over-active, you should do less exercises that involve leg raises and lat pull-downs and pull-ups
Ok...so here is the .pdf file...it has the text above as well as a corrective exercise routine to address low-back arch. The file has videos demonstrating the exercise but to view the videos properly, you should open the file in Adobe...or save the file and then open it in Adobe.
Hee's the link:
Back in the day when I was growing up, if you wanted good posture you would walk around with a book on your head. I suppose that the longer you walked around without the book falling then the better your posture was getting. Ahhh, life was so simple back then. Science wise I don’t think they were too far off. Certainly practicing good posture can lead to good posture and better posture leads to better movement, less muscular stress and reduced injuries.
Posture is really about having the proper muscle lengths and tensions on either side of a joint in order to be able to move through your full range of motion. When you are “out of alignment” around your joints you are in a state of muscular imbalance.
The image shows a good representation of an imbalance. The muscle on the left is in a constant state of contraction (called “over-active”) while the muscle on the other side of the joint is in a stretched state (called “under-active”) Many things can cause muscular imbalances such as emotional stress, repetitive movement (including sitting all day), previous injuries, poor training technique (including starting an exercise program that you are no ready for—don’t let ego get in the way of your health), lack of core strength etc.
One such imbalance occurs around your shoulder and you can test for this yourself. Starting in a standing position, raise your arms in the air above your head as seen from the front and side pictures. Your arms should be in-line with your ears.
Front View 
Side View
Now, begin to do a squat. Your arms should still be in a line as seen in the picture on the left. If however you are like most of us and your arms start to fall forward then you have a muscular imbalance that is caused by over-active lats and chest muscles and underactive trapezius and back muscles.
Proper alignment VS. arms falling forward 
Having this “arms fall forward” imbalance can lead to headaches, shoulder injuries and low back pain as well as decreasing your performance in any sport you may be involved in. The attched .pdf file will outline a great routine that addresses these imbalances and helps put things back to normal. The routine is called a corrective exercise sequence and it can be performed daily as a warm-up before your regular exercise routine, part of your cool-down after exercising or all on its own.
The .pdf file below has video demonstration beside each exercise. To work best, please save the file as a pdf. Sometimes by default the link will open in a new browser window and the functionality of the video will be lost. It's just kind of a quirk and not sure why it happens.
Ok...here you go...
http://blog.ideafit.com/files/user_upload/2226264.pdf
