OLD SCHOOL MONDAY TO FRIDAY MOVES TO HELP BREAK a butt-numbing ‘SIT –CYCLE’

Stiff breeze + swim danger. Taken by PKSenagore September 29, 2018. All rights reserved.

IT’S MONDAY. PERHAPS MOTIVATION TO WORKOUT IS HIGH AFTER A WEEKEND OF SITTING around while watching sports, bingeing on shows, or traveling to an autumn getaway. You indulged in lazy, guilty pleasures and now are fired up to get active again.
 
The article, “The 5 Most Under-Rated Exercises You Should be Doing,” by Brittany Risher released in 2017 on Under Armor’s MyFitnessPal.com blog, has a handful that can get you started and energized.  They are old-school moves, simple to perform, and don’t require much mental effort., Crunches (not sit-ups) push-ups, glute bridges, and squats and jumping jacks for those without knee issues.
 
Follow through on the impulse to get moving; don’t put it off.
 
Start with crunches and glute bridges while watching TV tonight; 8-12 repetitions, one set each. Progress on Tuesday to include one more of the remaining exercise, one set of 8-12 reps. Wednesday add another exercise, 8-12 reps, one set. By Thursday you’ll have performed each exercise, in one set. On Friday complete all 5 again, one set each.  The following Monday work on completing 2 sets of each. The next week 3 sets.  By then you may be ready to change up the routine with other exercises, with the confidence that you’ve built strength since that first MONDAY.
 
Not excited about a general exercise session and want to take a minimalist approach? Target the body part, your ‘butt’ (or bum), that suffers the most from prolonged sitting? An article by Mary Anderson for SHAPE.com can add determination to this plan, “How to Activate Underused GLUTES (Because Yours’ Are Probably Sleeping).”
 
Anderson encourages several general lifestyle changes that can help “break the sit cycle”, which include the obvious move of standing up and walking between butt-numbing sit sessions. Running is more effective, but walking is more convenient and can be accomplished in an impromptu manner between (or during) conference calls at work, as a quick study break, or to provide brain ‘refreshment’ after catching up on social media. Gradually increase the distance covered, Anderson says, and then try some squats. Anderson’s approach may be too laid back for some, but others may need to start with the most basic of efforts, which is SITTING LESS and walking more.
 
There are few people who can truly say that they don’t worry about sitting too much.  It’s the biggest problem I have EVERYDAY, as I work on my laptop for work, home, and family administrative chores, and then am tempted to sit to watch TV for relaxation.  I feel numbness coming on right now….
 
Time for a simple, old school exercise break.
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY

https://www.shape.com/fitness/tips/how-activate-glute-muscles-dead-butt-syndrome
 
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/5-underrated-exercises/