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PANCAKE TO PEACH
The 7 exercises you can do at your desk to get rid of ‘office bum’
Some of these quick-fix exercises can be done without even leaving your chair
IF you spend hours of your day sitting at a desk, before slumping on the sofa in front of the TV, you might be falling victim to an "office bum".
Essentially, "office bum" refers to a flat butt, caused by lack of movement and too much sitting, even if you are someone who hits the gym or exercises every day.
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It’s one of many negative side effects of having a sedentary lifestyle.
Scientists by the University of Leicester found people who spend a large proportion of their day sitting are at a greater risk of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and dying early compared to those who don’t have a sedentary lifestyle.
They also found that to help reduce this risk, it may require anywhere between 30 to 75 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity daily.
When it comes to your glutes - the muscles in your butt - Ekam Grewal, personal trainer and founder of Body by Ekam says: “Sitting for long periods can lead to weakening and wasting away of the large leg and gluteal muscles.
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“If these muscles are weak, you are more likely to injure yourself when falling. You can also experience tight hip flexors.”
Your hip flexors are muscles which sit towards the front of the hips and help to move your leg up towards your body.
When these become tight, from too much sitting, for example, you may feel in pain and even have difficulty walking normally.
Luckily, there are ways to prevent ‘office bum’ and go from pancake to peachy.
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Here are some desk exercises to help prevent "office bum" - Ekam recommends doing these exercises two to three times a day.
1. Standing calf raises
Target the calf and glute muscles by standing with feet shoulder-width apart, lifting your heels off the ground and balancing on the balls of your feet.
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Then lower back down.
Repeat 10 times.
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2. Desk donkey kicks
Target your glutes and hamstrings with this lower body exercise performed using a desk for support.
Stand facing the desk, lean forward and place your hands on it, then lift one leg straight back and up, squeezing your glutes, before lowering it back down.
Complete 45 seconds for each leg.
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3. Bodyweight squat
Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart.
Push your hips back, bend the knees and drop down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Pause here, then come back to standing.
Complete 45 seconds.
4. Seated figure-four stretch
Sit upright in a chair, place your right ankle on your left thigh, just above your knee and place your hands on your shin.
Keep the spine straight and lean forward to deepen the stretch.
Try 45 seconds before swapping sides and repeating with the other leg.
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5. Seated glute stretch
Sit on the floor and extend your legs in front of you.
Make sure you maintain a straight back, lift your left leg and place your left ankle on your right knee.
Lean forward slightly for a deeper stretch, hold for around 45 seconds, then swap sides.
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6. Downward dog
Start in a push-up position with palms on the floor and body straight. Move your hips back and up, keeping your legs straight.
Your arms should be stretched out in front of you.
Place your head between your shoulders, keeping it in line with your spine and feel the stretch in the back of your legs.
Complete 45 seconds before coming back up.
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7. Kneeling hip flexor
Begin in a lunge position on the ground with your back knee on the floor.
Tuck your tailbone and squeeze your glutes.
Lean forward gently until you feel a stretch in your rear quad, the muscle that runs along the front of your thigh.
Try and hold the stretch for 45 seconds and then, swap legs.
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More 'bum office' prevention tips
1. Dump the hour-long lunch
While it’s important to make sure you take a break to eat, Ekam suggests that you don’t spend your entire lunch hour eating.
He says: “Have 20 minutes for eating, followed by a brisk walk afterwards. This will help digestion and avoid prolonged periods of sitting.”
Walking briskly will also help to increase your heart rate, giving your cardiovascular system a good workout too.
2. Drink up!
Whilst staying hydrated won’t exactly fight against ‘office bum’, drinking plenty of fluid WILL ensure you have to keep getting up for the toilet.
Set your alarm too and get up regularly to fill up your water bottle or make a cup of tea or coffee.
3. Mix up your meetings
If you find that you’re sat down most of the day because of long, boring meetings, which you can’t wriggle out of, then it’s time to shake things up.
Can you stand for any of your meetings, or, if it’s a one-to-one, could you take it outside and opt for a walk and talk?
Or could you walk to a coffee shop and have your meeting there, so you’ve managed to get a walk in beforehand.
4. Weight train
If you’re hitting the gym, Ekam recommends working your legs and glutes twice a week.
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“So even though you’re sedentary at work, you are working the glutes much more outside of work,” he says.
Try hip thrusts, squats and romanian deadlifts in the gym or at home with a set of dumbbells.
Sit-stand desk cured my pain
AT 43, I know I’m getting older, writes Clare O'Reilly.
My lower back pain started a couple of years ago and having a job that involves sitting down felt like an occupational hazard.
I then started to get shoulder tension a year ago, after hunching over my laptop for hours a day.
Switching to a sit-stand desk eight months ago has changed everything.
It has eliminated my pain and I feel healthier, brighter and I don’t finish my working days as tired as I did.
I think the small constant movement has actually increased my energy levels.
And it might be a coincidence, but I’ve lost 3lbs since I started using it too.
I can’t ever imagine going back to sitting down constantly now.
Even when I’m on the sofa watching TV, sitting for too long feels weird