Important Health Tips You Need to Consider If You Live a Sedentary Lifestyle

Living a sedentary lifestyle has become more and more common over the years, largely due to how the world now works, with longer work hours, less active jobs, and the rapid advancement of the internet that has enabled services such as Netflix and Disney+, along with the evolution of people changing how they wish to spend their free time. In the past children and adults alike would often be far more sociable, and spend a great deal of their free time outside meeting up with others. However, times have changed, and now a large majority of people would rather sit in and watch their favorite TV shows, and films, or watch the world go by online through social media. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with living a life in this way, so long as you are happy, and are able to take care of your physical/mental health. Here are several important health tips that you need to consider if you live a sedentary lifestyle.

Add a bit of movement into your morning routine

One of the easiest ways to include a little extra movement into your day if you live a sedentary lifestyle is by adding a small amount of exercise into your morning routine. This could be as simple as doing a 5-minute stretch, going for a short walk, doing some strengthening exercises, or even doing a bit of yoga. Not only will the small addition of movement at the beginning of your day help improve your physical and mental health, but it will also help you get your body and mind more active, and ready for the day. Adding a little bit of movement into the beginning of your day can be beneficial for those people who forget things easily, or have limited time, as once you have completed it in the morning, you are able to just get on with your day.

Change your workspace environment

Whether you work in an office or at home, changing your workspace environment is another great way to help improve your health, especially if you are normally sitting at your desk all day. There are several things that you could consider changing to the ergonomics of how your workspace environment is set up. For example, through the addition of incorporating things like a standing desk, or even a walking pad to your workstation you will be giving yourself the option to easily add gentle movement into your work day, allowing for as much or as little sedentary time sitting down as you need.

Take regular breaks throughout the day

Due to many high-paced, and stressful workplace environments, many people will work through their breaks so as to try and keep up with the demand of work that is expected of them. If this is something that you do, then it is advisable that you end this behavior and instead take the breaks that you are entitled to. These breaks will not only give you the time to rest mentally, but if you have been sitting down for several hours, you will also have the chance to get up and move around a little. Even if all you manage to do is stand up and do a few stretches, or walk a few hundred paces, all of this movement will add up over time and is much better for you than not taking time for yourself each day.

Consider registering at a gym

If you spend the majority of your day sitting down at a desk or driving, and if when you get home all you want to do is sit on your couch and relax, then this is perfectly fine but you may want to cut out a few hours of your week to visit a gym. Not necessarily to help you lose weight, or to gain muscle, but so that you have a dedicated place you can regularly visit that encourages some form of movement into your lifestyle. The problem with living a sedentary lifestyle is that you are susceptible to latching onto a negative mindset and identifying yourself as a lazy person. This is not the truth in many cases, and if you were to find something that you enjoy doing at the gym, or went with a friend, you would likely find that you end up spending more time there than you first would have imagined. Not to mention that at the gym you are more likely to work your body harder, which in turn releases chemicals in your brain called endorphins. These endorphins give you a great boost mentally, as well as physically.

Find an active hobby you enjoy

If going to the gym is not something that you enjoy then worry not as there are plenty of other alternatives. Most people will see going to the gym as a hobby rather than an activity, so, if you are looking to improve your health due to having a sedentary lifestyle, then all you need to do is look to regularly incorporate an active hobby that you enjoy. This could be done by yourself, or with a friend depending on what kind of hobbies you and your friends are interested in, along with your availability, and fitness levels. The hobbies that you include could be as gentle as going for walks in nature, all the way to joining up to fast-paced contact sports such as ice hockey, football, or basketball.

Start small but be consistent

Living a sedentary lifestyle with no movement at all will eventually have detrimental effects on both your physical and mental health. However, you should be aware that you do not need to completely turn your life around in a short space of time. Incorporating new behaviors, and routines take time and can be difficult. The important thing is to do something toward the change you want, even if it is small, and to do it consistently. This way you are less likely to fail, and you will give yourself the momentum for change that you need.

If you are currently living a sedentary lifestyle and want to become more active, why not consider implementing these tips into your day-to-day- life?