Lockdown health tips: Stand up straight for 3 minutes for every 30 minutes of sitting
Highlights
- Avoid sitting for too long at a stretch
- It may be the reason you have back ache
- Do these chair exercises recommended by Rujuta Diwekar
Lockdown health tips: Are you tired of sitting all day? Well, then you must do something about it as sitting is an independent risk factor for metabolic health disorders like diabetes, heart health and PCOD to name a few. One simple thing that you can do to avoid long periods of sitting is- stand straight on your feet for three minutes for every 30 minutes of sitting. You need to stand without leaning or taking support of a wall or chair or anything else. Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar says that you can even do squats on the chair for these three minutes.
Just place yourself on the chair with back straight, and stand up. Do this about 10 times in these three minutes of standing. Do this for two to three times in a day and you are good to go, mentions Diwekar in one of her recent IGTVs.
Also read: Quarantine Tips: Finding It Difficult To Manage Your Routine? Here Are Some Tips That Can Help
Easy ways to avoid long sitting hours
1. After a few days of practicing what is mentioned above, you can then take this activity to the next level. As you sit on the chair, put right leg over your left and stand up. Put the right leg down, sit down, now put your left leg over your right leg and stand up. Put the left leg down, and then sit down. Diwekar illustrates in the video below to show how you can do it.
She recommends doing this at least five times every day. "We begin to develop an imbalance in our left and right leg over time. The only way to know that your left leg is as strong as your right leg, is by doing this activity and seeing how your body responds to it," she says in the video.
2. The third activity that you can do to prevent sitting all day is taking the above activity to the next level. Sit on the chair, put right leg over left leg, stand up and sit down with putting the right leg down. Do this for three to four times on each leg.
Also read: Nutritionist Nmami Agarwal Shares A Weekly Diet Plan For The Lockdown Period
3. After this, you can try standing on the chair. Stand very close to the chair and climb on it with right leg, then bring your left leg up as well. Then put your right leg down followed by the left leg. Do two to three times (or more) with both legs.
4. Once you have mastered number 3, now you can try standing on the side of the chair. Climb with your right leg while standing on the right side of the chair, and come down with your left leg on the left side of the chair. Do this 3-4 times on each side.
Sitting at one place for long periods of time can lead to back ache
Photo Credit: iStock
Involve kids and other members of the family while doing these activities to break down long sitting hours. Also, keep the chair against the wall for added stability.
Stay indoors and stay safe everyone. Do not forget to exercise regularly and try to be physically active all day.
Also read: Quarantine Meal Plan: Use These 3 Indian Foods For Preparing Multiple Meals
(Rujuta Diwekar is a nutritionist based in Mumbai)
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.