Breaking Up the Work Day

Now that most of us are working, studying, and attending school from the comfort of our homes (and maybe even from our beds?), it’s easy to find yourself sitting for hours on end with little movement or physical stimulation. So, today we’re here to help provide you with a few easy tips and tricks that will help you stay moving throughout the day and set up for physical and mental success!

How to Stay Moving Throughout the Day

Schedule Brain Breaks

As we attempt to get up and move throughout the day, sometimes a great trick to getting yourself to do so is to transform the idea of moving into an activity and goal to hold yourself accountable to. So, maybe walking “six laps around your house,” “walking to the mailbox,” “walking to your campus coffee shop or lunch space” or any other form of “task” and activity to morph the exercise into an accomplishment is a great path toward success!

Additionally, standing up and moving after sitting for a long period of time is going to be most beneficial for you. Setting a time limit that you’re comfortable with, like working for 60 minutes straight and then standing up for 10 minutes or incorporating another form of exercise into your routine is another form of incorporating comfort into benefits!

Finally, getting up from your desk every hour or so is not only good for you physically, but also mentally. Stretching or going on a quick walk will make you feel refreshed! Your brain needs mental breaks throughout the day in order to increase your productivity and creativity. If you’re feeling tired or have a midday crash, that would be the perfect time to stretch or get up from your desk. It will diminish those feelings of drowsiness and help you feel more alert to get through to the end of the day.

Incorporate Stretching Exercises

If incorporating physically exerting exercises into your day feels like a task that you will struggle to accomplish or feel motivated to achieve, then yoga poses and stretching activities are a great alternative.

In order to alleviate tension in your muscles, stretch! Some easy stretches like spinal twists, half-kneel stretch, or downward dog are simple yet effective. Stretching your muscles periodically after sitting in front of a computer all day will improve your posture and help your body alignment. After stretching, your body will feel better and looser because stretching really well produces blood flow.

Focus Attention Elsewhere

It’s not possible for someone to sit for 8 hours a day and not have any physical or mental effects. Use these tips to counteract the effects sitting has on your body! It is perfectly normal to feel restless after sitting for large quantities of time, so finding your groove to stand up and get “active” is a key to staying focused, alert, and successful.

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