The sedentary lifestyle has become too common these days that most people have accepted it as normal—the prolonged sitting, the hunching and slouching over the computer when working, even the main activities we consider as hobbies such as watching movies, gaming, and browsing social media. All of these make up an entire lifestyle that, admittedly, doesn’t lend much space for moving more. We believe there is a right time for everything, but when is too much, too much? With the rising popularity of standing desks and ergonomic chairs, it's time to address the issue.

If you’re worried that your lifestyle may be causing harm to your health without you noticing it, there are some questions you may want to ask yourself to get started towards practicing healthier habits:

• How long do you find yourself seated in any given day?
• What activities do you do to break prolonged sitting and give yourself opportunity to move?
• How much intentional exercise do you get each day or week?
• How much natural movement is involved in your daily activities, such as walking, climbing the stairs, maybe even doing household chores?

All of these questions will help you gauge and determine where you are in terms of your lifestyle and, more importantly, what you need to do to stay more active and healthier.

5 Symptoms that Will Tell You that You Need to Move More

In most cases, your body will also be able to tell you when it’s not getting enough movement. Below, we have outlined 5 symptoms that most people living a sedentary lifestyle will experience. Check whether you experience any of these.

You feel body pain, numbness, and stiffness.

You’d think back pain and stiffness of the joints are normal, especially once you reach a certain age. And while that is true, the condition is exacerbated by very little movement. If you sit all day without moving and getting up from your chair, your joints and muscles get stuck in a certain position and your circulation suffers. As a result, you feel all those little pains at the end of a long day.

The cure is simple. Apart from making sure that you have an ergonomic chair that gives proper support to your back and your body as you work, make sure that you also get up from your chair, stretch, alternate between sitting and standing with the help of a standing desk, and move more.

You have low energy.

The signs of low energy may vary. This can range from getting sleepy during certain parts of the day to not having the motivation to do extra work in the office. Energy is both physical and mental, and it is affected by the amount of movement you do. When you move more, your body releases endorphins, which in turn provides you with a higher level of energy.

Getting proper exercise is advised, but small movements throughout the day is more practical, more realistic, and works better for some people. Find small opportunities throughout your day to move. If you can’t go to the gym, take the stairs instead of the elevator, stand while working with the help of an electric standing desk, or walk to a nearby café instead of taking your car. These movements contribute toward increasing your energy levels.

You have poor posture.

Poor posture is common among individuals who sit for a prolonged period of time. It’s easy to maintain correct posture if you keep moving now and again in your chair and from your chair, but prolonged sitting makes people prone to slouching and hunching. And, this can cause a lot of health problems in your spine and back.

The first thing to do is ensure that you have a good ergonomic chair. This is important to ensure that your body is fully supported in whatever sitting position you’re in. The second thing is ensure that you stay conscious of your posture. Post little reminders where you can see them—to sit up straight or stand after every few minutes. The third one is to keep moving. Try a sit-stand desk and alternate between sitting and standing. It’s been proven that when you stand, the effort to keep yourself upright also keeps your muscles active. And as you do this, you can intentionally keep your posture correct.

You experience difficulty in focusing.

So what’s the connection between sedentariness and focus? Well, there are certain hormones in the body that is involved in regulating an individual’s mood and level of focus, including memory—hormones like dopamine and serotonin. Production of these hormones in the brain is affected by the amount of exercise and movement we get. The more you move, the more boost your brain gets from these hormones, thus increasing your focus.

If you notice that you are easily distracted and have a hard time focusing, exercise and increased movement is likely the easiest solution for you. Break your sedentary lifestyle, move more, and easily focus on tasks that need your attention.

You have dark thoughts.

The correlation between mental health and sedentariness isn’t as clear cut as with the other conditions mentioned above, but many health professionals have acknowledged its existence. The likelihood of depression, anxiety, and stress seems to increase among people living a sedentary lifestyle. The good news is that, reversing the condition is possible by moving more. Together with meditation, exercise appears to reduce mental health issues among individuals. Part of the reason is hormones, as mentioned above. Movement releases mood-boosting hormones that can keep people relatively happy and well psychologically.

If you feel depressed or stressed, one of the small ways you can deal with the problem is to move more, meditate, and exercise, among others.

About Us

MotionGrey is a Canadian standing desk company that specializes in ergonomic furniture. We supply and install only the best quality standing desks and ergonomic chairs in the country.

Our products are designed with wellness as the focal point. From our electric standing desks to our office and gaming chairs, we deliver best value by putting your health, safety, and comfort as top priority. Boost your creativity and level up work performance. We want you to create great outcomes so we’re providing you only the best tools to make them possible.
 
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