Sitting in front of a computer for several hours daily hurts our health in many ways. It lowers our metabolism which in turn affects our ability to burn down fat. The result of this cholesterol and fats building up in our heart vessels which puts us at risk of developing serious cardiovascular diseases.
Sitting for long hours also down our digestion which might cause bloating and constipation. Worse still, sitting for over 6 hours daily may also lead to digestion problems as well as development of varicose veins.
It is for these reasons that medical experts recommend at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily for at least five days a week. This is the bare minimum every human needs to keep fit and keep lifestyle diseases that arise for inactivity at bay. This is mostly light aerobic exercise like walking or jogging.
The issue is that walking or jogging does not address or remedy the other health issues that arise from prolonged sitting such as poor posture and back pain. Examples of poor posture include rounded shoulders, text neck and pelvic tilt. To remedy posture problems, you need to do specific exercises besides general physical activities.
Here are some exercises for better posture.
Running
Running is one of the more intensive cardio exercises than jogging or cycling and increases the body’s metabolism to burn more calories thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. If your bad posture comes from excessive weight, then you should consider taking up running as an exercise. Furthermore, a good running technique strengthens your core muscles which are important in maintaining a good posture.
Crunches
One of the reasons you have a poor posture is because your abdominal muscles are weak. Crunches specifically target these abdominal muscles and can even help in shedding abdominal fat. It is important to pay attention to proper form and breathing while doing crunches to avoid injuries.
As a beginner, do not use any weights but as you progress and your fitness improves and abdominal muscles grow stronger, you can add some variations with a medicine ball or curl ups.
Rowing
One of the symptoms of poor posture is rounded shoulders and a tilted pelvis – condition characterised by your belt hanging at an angle instead of straight on your waist. Rowing is one of the best exercises to remedy this as it works on compound muscle groups.
Rowing strengthens the shoulder muscles, the abdominals and the back muscles. Chances are your local gym has a rowing machine which you can talk to your instructor on which exercises to do there. If you are looking to stock your home gym with a rowing machine, Rowing Reviews can provide some guidance.
Squats
The ultimate leg day exercise, squats do not only firm up your butt muscles but are also a great work out for your lower back and abdominal muscles. Start by squatting with your body weight, increasing the number of reps and sets as you go along. When you have mastered the technique, you can twist during ascent as you do your squats for a more targeted abdominal work out.
