5 simple steps to reduce sedentary behavior while on lockdown

Burning calories and losing all that konafa weight doesn’t require a top-notch gym or sporting club subscription. With just a little discipline and a minor modification to your daily routine, you can shed the pounds even when you’re on lockdown at home.

Coping with the uncertainty of the pandemic and the overwhelming emotions that came with the over-night change of our lives, dealing with weight gain, and declined well being is the last thing we need to worry about right now. Like most of us, since we’re all stuck at home, spending a lot of time sitting can be detrimental to your physical and mental state. Here are simple steps to reduce sedentary behavior while on lockdown.

1. Move more: Whether you’re on the phone or booked all afternoon for an online meeting, get off your desk, and move. Walk around in circles, dance, squat in place, whatever you do just make sure you’re not seated for more than one hour at a time.

2. Make getting fit fun: Playing your favorite music, working out with your pet or partner, dancing in the living room, are all tried-and-tested ways to make working out less of a mundane task. Make sure you pick an activity that appeals to you and make time for it every day, even if it’s just for 10 minutes.

3. Deskercise: Sneaking in these exercises into your daily routine could be the best thing you could possibly do for your physical wellbeing. Whether you do ab crunches while seated at your desk or a few repetitions of shoulder shrugs every day, these mini-workouts will improve your physical and mental strength in the long run.

4. Play actively: Keep your kids and pets entertained by actively engaging with them during play. Throw the ball a little harder when you play fetch with your dog, teach the kids how to jump rope or Hula Hoop, or even choose a game console that encourages movement and discourages unnecessary screen time and slouching on the couch for hours.

5. Get yourself a standing desk: Fix your posture, reduce fidget time, strengthen your legs, and much more when you switch from seated to standing desks. While getting work done standing at a desk could be tiresome at first, the benefits reaped are surely worth it.

Lockdown or not, reducing sedentary time can improve your physical, metabolic, and even mental well being. This is why incorporating movement into your daily life is essential for keeping safe and sane during these trying times. Let us know in the comments which ones you’ve tried.