In case you missed the information, your work chair – no matter how ergonomic – is killing you. Let's say more precisely that it harms you especially if you stay stuck on it for at least eight hours a day, if you prefer to communicate by email rather than traveling, or if at the same time you do sports as often as others go to the office. dentist. The fault lies with the dreaded sedentary lifestyle, which kills as much as tobacco by increasing exposure to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, anxiety... On Tuesday, the national agency Public Health France published its new recommendations on diet , physical activity and sedentary lifestyle. And it's time to activate this body that just wants to move. A short guide to good conduct for seated employees.
Walk five minutes every hour
Nothing new under the sun you will tell us. Since we know the ravages of non-physical activity, any good health professional will advise you to leave your seat regularly and take a few steps. And to ensure you have a quota of activity during the day, five minutes of steps every hour is enough. “Let's assume that an employee who works seated spends at least eight hours a day in his chair. By getting up and walking for five minutes every hour, he will end his day having done his 40 minutes of walking,” underlines Laurence Plumey, nutritionist and author of
How to lose weight happily when you don't like sport or vegetables
( Ed. Eyrolles). QED.
Choose the furthest toilet
Being active is about avoiding ease in everyday life
Dr Laurence Plumey
Thank your body, its natural needs force you to get up at least twice a day. If not, you have two options: either you don't drink enough water, or you refrain from going to the bathroom (either way it's bad). “Becoming or being active consists above all of avoiding ease in everyday life. So, when you need to use toilets, choose those located on the upper floor and not those located next to your office,” advises the doctor. The principle is the same for the water fountain, always opt for the one that requires you to walk as much as possible, and even better, the one that requires you to take stairs.
Stay upright in transport
Fatigue, back pain, heavy legs... We will easily understand that at the end of the day you especially want to sit in the metro, bus, tram. But “if you feel in good shape at the moment, it will always be better to stay standing,” confirms the doctor. Fortunately, if we assume that you use transport during rush hours, there is a good chance that you will spend your journey standing up... and between two armpits, it is true.
Get off one or two stations earlier
Let’s stay in the lexical field of transport. Here again the advice is nothing original, but it allows you to be more active every day, almost without realizing it, a significant advantage you will agree. “The efforts will pay off if they are practiced every day,” recalls Dr. Laurence Plumey. So change your daily commute. Always get off a station or stop earlier than usual, do part by transport, the other on foot; park further away, go to the office on foot, by bike... Needless to say, however, it is not enough to walk around with your nose in the wind. To maintain and care for the machine that is your body, take a dynamic step. Without going to the wet front, your heart rate should increase while walking.
Have two pairs of shoes with you
Hence the interest in carrying your stilettos in a bag and putting on sneakers or a flat, more practical model for the journey. At the same time, “avoid any clothing or accessory that does not invite you to walk,” reminds Dr. Plumey, whether they are heels that are too high, slim, skinny or high-waisted pants... hear: no need to eradicate them from your wardrobe; far from us the desire to see you arriving in harem pants on Monday morning. You just need to choose outfits in which you feel good, and which allow you to move around the corridors.
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