Why should you do stretching exercises at your desk? To prevent sitting disease!
Did you know that the average American spends about 55% of their waking hours every day sitting???
This adds up to almost 8 hours everyday sitting, and this finding is on the low end, with other studies that many people are sedentary (ie: not moving) for 12 or more hours everyday. WOWZERS!!
So what does this all this sitting mean for your health?
Remember how we talked about how Sitting is the New Smoking ie: how all that time parked in a chair is not only wreaking havoc on your derriere, but also your health? Well unfortunately, it’s true and it even has its own name: SITTING DISEASE! “The growing body of research on sitting disease has found a strong correlation between long periods of sitting and elevated risk of illness or injury.” YIKES!!!…..like what you might be asking yourself????
It turns out that sitting for so long everyday puts someone at a higher risk for:
- weight gain (especially around the midsection where it poses a higher health risk)
- high blood sugar
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol (LDL)
- low levels of the good cholesterol (HDL)
All of these symptoms combine to make up what is called Metabolic Syndrome and put someone at a higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, Stroke and other health issues.
I know these facts are scary, but thankfully there is good news!! This same research is showing us that by taking regular movement breaks, to stand up more and sit less we can shift the odds in our favor and reduce the effects of chronic sitting. WHEW!
So what can we do? Stand up more often and do some stretching exercises!
Standing up and taking short breaks to move, stretch and breathe is an excellent way to:
- tone and strengthen your muscles, which boost your metabolism so you burn more calories
- keep your bones, joints and organs healthy
- deliver more oxygen and nutrients to your brain so you feel more energized and alert
- improve your circulation and improve your heart health and cholesterol levels
- boost awareness for greater concentration and productivity
- improves your posture so you have less tension and pain
- gives you a natural energy boost!
So set yourself a timer for 30 minutes and when it goes off STAND UP AND MOVE! If you have the set up to work standing you can do the next thirty minutes of work upright!
Want to learn how to do stretching exercises right at your desk with no extra equipment in a short amount of time? Join the FREE 5 Day DESK YOGA challenge starting Monday April 22nd!
Make sure that you Sign up by HERE:👇🏽
FREE 5 day “Desk Yoga” Challenge starts April 22nd!
- ease the chronic tension in your neck and shoulders
- strengthen your core muscles for better posture
- balance the effects of chronic sitting
- lowering your stress levels
- keeping your brain alert and sharp
- boosting your creativity and focus
Remember how much fun recess was as a kid? It turns out adults need them too!
Do you remember how much joy you felt when you heard the recess bell sound? Hooray, time to go outside to play!
And within an instant everyone would grab their snacks and head outside to skip, play ball, talk, whatever. Wasn’t it fun?
Spoiler alert:
It turns out that recess really wasn’t all fun and games, it actually serves a purpose!
According to research from Georgia State University, the brain can only focus for 45-50 minutes at a time. In order for it to regain focus, it needs novelty and downtime to process information at high speeds again.
Interesting right?
While you thought you were just out there having fun you were actually:
- increasing oxygen and blood flow to your brain
- improving your balance and motor function
- building healthy muscles and joints
- lowering stress levels
- enhancing your hormonal balance and overall well-being
When you returned back to class after this “brain break” (aka: recess ;)) research shows us that you were likely more alert, productive and present.
So where am I going with this?
While a few decades may have passed, the fundamental structure of your brain and chemistry remains consistent. In order for you to perform on your highest level you need to be taking “brain breaks”.
And what is great way to take a break that oxygenates your whole system, strengthens your muscles, challenges your mind and energizes your spirit?
YOGA!!
Taking regular Yoga Breaks throughout the day is a great way to integrate brain breaks into your day so that you are alert and productive. Even just a few minutes of movement, stretching and conscious breathing are extremely powerful for helping you to ease the chronic tension that accumulates when working on a computer, activate and strengthen core muscles to improve your posture, lower stress levels and feel more alert and productive.
I am excited to announce that I will be running a FREE 5 Day “Desk Yoga” Challenge starting April 22nd in my Yoga at My Desk Tribe. You can sign up for the challenge HERE .
Each day will focus on a different area of the body commonly effected by computer work and teach you a stretch to ease tension, a move to increase stability in the area and a breathing exercise to ground you.
I would love for you to join us, its going to be fun and supportive! I will be going live everyday at 7am HST to walk you through the moves for the day. Plus there will be bonus material and prizes! Sign up for the challenge HERE .
A powerful question to ask yourself anytime, anywhere
Want a simple yet extremely powerful way to ground yourself and return your focus to the present moment?
Ask yourself this question:
And then pay attention:
Where do you feel your breath? What is the quality of it?
Often when we are feeling stressed out or paying attention to things around us our breath is short and shallow and mostly in the chest and shoulder area.
Not only does this increase tension in this area because these muscles are not meant to be our main breathing muscles, it also triggers more stress in our bodies because it is the fight or flight breathing pattern.
As soon as you shift your focus to your breath and begin to pay attention to it you will notice a shift within yourself. As you tune into the flow of your breath, the feeling of it and the quality of it you will feel yourself becoming more relaxed, grounded, and present.
Tuning into the subtle rhythm of the breath is the easiest way we have to bring our attention into our body and into the now.
Try this periodically throughout your day to take a moment to center yourself. Not only will it help you bring your stress levels down, but it will help you concentrate and focus.
Take it to the next level by taking a short breathing break.
- Sit tall, rolling your shoulders back and down to lift your chest.
- Relax your neck, shoulders and jaw as you close your eyes.
- Rest your hands on your legs.
- Begin to take slow deep breaths, filling your belly as you inhale
- As you exhale feel yourself sitting taller.
- Take at least 5 deep slow breaths
- Be aware of any mental distractions and stay focused on your breath as much as you can
- Enjoy!
Learn more about how breathing impacts our health and vitality at my upcoming free workshop: Deep Breaths for Less Stress on April 13th @10 am at the HMSA Center in Kahului. Learn more about this free workshop here.
Want to take a longer Yoga Break? Click here to try a 10 Minute session designed to ease your Neck and Shoulder tension that you can do right at your desk!
With the Yoga at My Desk Online Course you will learn how to take Yoga Breaks right at your desk, in work clothes, with no extra equipment. Learn how to release tension, activate and tone, boost energy naturally and lower your stress levels by integrate the powerful tools of Yoga into your workday! Each lesson is only 10 minutes long so you can easily incorporate them into your schedule, whenever it works best for you.
FREE Workshop: Deep Breaths for Less Stress on Saturday April 13th
- how we breathe
- how it effects your nervous system
- several breathing techniques that you can do anytime, anywhere to lower your stress levels
- how to use the breath to quiet and focus your mind
4 Ways that Yoga Helps You Avoid Getting Sick!
At this time of year it seems like everyone around us is sniffling and sneezing right? With colds and flus going around like crazy it is so important that we do everything we can to stay healthy and keep our immune systems strong!
Remember the saying: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? Well it’s true! The more that we can do on a regular basis to keep our vitality high the better, which means we will get sick less often and recover more quickly when we do.
Since it effects our body on many levels simultaneously, Yoga is an extremely powerful tool for boosting our immunity and keeping us feeling great. The key of course is to practice it on a regular basis to get maximum benefits and keep everything running optimally.
Curious how taking Yoga Breaks can help you avoid the sniffles, aches and fevers of cold and flu season?
Check out 4 ways Yoga helps you helps you avoid getting sick:
- Yoga helps to bring stress levels down to reduce inflammation and reduce stress hormone levels that compromise the immune system. Deep, slow diaphragmatic breathing which is practiced in Yoga is a powerful way to shifting ourselves out of Fight or Flight (ie: the stressed state) by activating the Parasympathetic Nervous System. This lowers the levels of stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline and helps to shift us into a state of healing and recovery.
- The many breathing techniques we use in Yoga helps to keep the respiratory system strong by increasing the elasticity and strength of the lungs, which in turn helps to prevent infection. The same breathing technique mentioned above, as well as the many other forms of pranayama (or breath control practices) used in Yoga have a strengthening effect on the lungs. This in turn helps them expand and relax normally to make sure that they are function their best.
- Practicing the different poses (or asanas) allows the organs and glands to be supplied with fresh blood, gently massaged, relaxed, toned and stimulated, which helps to maintain their function and health. The many shapes of the asanas practiced in Yoga takes the body through a full range of motion and stimulates the multitude of organs and glands throughout the body. This is a potent way to make sure that you inner systems such as your endocrine, digestive and cardiovascular systems are all functioning their best.
- By working your muscles, the asanas also squeeze and stimulate your lymph nodes which flushes out toxins and bacteria to helps keep you healthy. So while the Yoga asanas are also helping you to build strength and deepen your flexibility by activating a variety of muscles, they are simultaneously rinsing out the nearby by lymph nodes. This is key for strong immune function since the lymph fluid collects waste material, and other things (like viruses and bacteria) that are in the body tissues. Maintaining the health and function of the lymph nodes is also essential for a healthy immune system since the lymph carries white blood cells which are key for fighting off infection.
Powerful stuff isn’t it? And that’s not to mention the long list of other benefits that Yoga has such as ease tension, improving range of motion, increasing flexibility, boosting strength, improving sleep quality and lots more! Given how many benefits it has incorporating more Yoga Breaks into your week is an excellent idea for current and long term health!
Want an easy way to reap the benefits of Yoga anytime, anywhere? Check out the Yoga at My Desk Online Course. This course will teach you how to take Yoga Breaks right at your desk, in work clothes, with no extra equipment. Learn how to release tension, activate and tone, boost energy naturally and lower your stress levels by integrate the powerful tools of Yoga into your workday! Each lesson is only 10 minutes long so you can easily incorporate them into your schedule, whenever it works best for you.
Click here to try a 10 Minute session designed to ease your Neck and Shoulder tension that you can do right at your desk!
Show your love with Yoga and save 20% on the Yoga at My Desk course!
Are you looking for a unique way to show your love this Valentines Day to yourself or someone special? Yoga at My Desk is a great gift for you loved one so they can take care of their body, mind and spirit all day at work!
From now until February 15th save 20% on the Yoga at My Desk course which includes:
- 10-10 minute customized Yoga at My Desk video lessons
- 3 bonus videos
- planner to track progress
- 10 ways to take a 1 minute Yoga Break cheatsheet
- ongoing support and encouragement in our online community
Research is showing us that it is so important that we are getting up and moving more throughout the day. And what better way to do that with a short little Yoga Break? Yoga is such a great way to do this because it allows you to get so much out of a short amount of time!
Yoga is a powerful mind/body practice that helps us shift our focus inwards onto our breath to lower stress levels and help us feel calm, cool and collected. As we do this we are moving, stretching and strengthening our bodies to help increase flexibility, body and postural awareness, reduce tension, and activate core muscles.
All of this comes together to be an amazingly effective self care practice so that you and or you loved one can live, move and feel their best!
The best part about this course is that each of the lessons is only 10 minutes long and can be done right at your desk, in work clothes anytime it works for your schedule! This way you can take a Yoga Break anytime you need one to refresh your mind and energize your body to have more focus, clarity, inspiration and productivity for the rest of the day!
Did you see the latest Health and Wellness issue of Maui Time?
What an honor to be included in the recent Health and Wellness issue of Maui Time Weekly entitled: Four New Ways to Worship Your Body
The article highlighted myself and three other women who are taking a unique approach to Health and Wellness here on Maui. It was such an honor to be interviewed about my new Yoga at My Desk Course as well as my Yoga at Work sessions and workshops.
Here is a highlight from the article about my philosophy and approach to Yoga:
“In our day-to-day lives we are constantly engaging with the world around us: our work, our phone, our friends, and social media,” says Nolan. “However in yoga we use the breath to focus our mind and draw it inwards. In this way yoga teaches us how to pay attention to ourselves and to learn more about what makes us who we are as well as our unique habits and patterns. As we develop this self awareness on all levels: mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual, we become attuned to what we need to do to feel our best inside and out. I believe that this makes yoga a practice of self-care, self-acceptance, and ultimately self-love.”
Read the rest of the article HERE.
Would you like to put the tools of Yoga to work for your business? Contact me to book a complimentary Yoga at Work demo onsite for your team. These sessions can be done by all levels, in work clothes, with extra no equipment. This makes them easy to work into the work day to help your team, stretch, move and breathe for increased energy, focus and productivity.
Sit a lot at work? Here’s 5 reasons to take a Yoga Break!
Coming on the heels of last weeks TIME magazine article about how chronic sitting is aging us prematurely and how we need to take more movement breaks: I’m am thrilled to announce that my article talking about the importance of taking regular Yoga Breaks at work was just published on Elephant Journal!!
I am so excited to share this info to help people to take the tools and benefits of Yoga off the mat and into the office….where we really need it!
“The human body thrives with regular movement, and while our ancestors used to have this as an ingrained part of their day, most modern humans do not. The average human wakes up, drives to work, sits at a desk using a computer, drives home and then relaxes from all this sitting by sitting some more, likely in front of another screen (tv, computer, phone). In short: a whole lot of time sitting down, everyday!
In fact, the sedentary nature of our modern world has begun to take such a toll on us that it has become the newest, most widespread health problem. If you haven’t heard by now, experts have determined that “Sitting is the New Smoking”, meaning that long hours of sitting have such detrimental effects on our health that it increases the risk of chronic diseases drastically. SCARY RIGHT?!
What can we do if our job requires us to sit a lot? Take Yoga breaks at our desks!”
Click HERE to read the rest of the article and learn 5 reasons to take a Yoga break!
Motivated to take a Yoga break but aren’t sure what to do? Check out my YOGA AT MY DESK online course!
Each session has a unique focused and is customized to help you ease tension, increase core strength to improve your posture, enhance your flexibility, brighten your mood and lift your energy level as your stress levels drop.
