For quite a few years, nutritionists and fitness experts have been saying that 'sitting is the new smoking,' as sedentary lifestyles and jobs are increasing the waistlines and belly fat of this generation. It's understandable how most of these jobs are mentally demanding and tire you out even when you don't move much. After a day at work, most people don't have the energy to squeeze in a workout regime either and would rather use that time to catch up on sleep or relax, scrolling on their phones. But, that doesn't mean you can't do the minimum to make it as less sedentary as possible and lose your belly fat. Here's how individuals with desk jobs can reduce their waistline through easy steps like active sitting, transportation, ergonomics and more.
Take breaks to stretch and move
Fitness watches are easily available in the market these days. Invest in one of them to track your movement and urge you to take a few steps, once in a while. You can also set timers on your phones to take a short stroll. Add more steps to your daily goal by taking steps, walking to the farthest loo and even walking to work wherever possible. There are also moves like seated leg raises, chair squats or desk push-ups, and desk push-ups that can burn extra calories and belly fat even while you are at work. During your lunch or coffee breaks, take brisk walks as well which can both relax you and burn calories.
Try active transportation
Whenever possible, try to walk or cycle to work. Commute can double up as your workout time, even without you realising it much. Even when not in the mood to walk or cycle, take public transport to work as it can involve a lot more movement as compared to your private vehicle. Also, opt for offline shopping instead of online purchases and that would require both your body and mind to be involved actively. If you can buy things from different shops rather than an all-in-one bazaar, the better. Your belly fat hates nothing more than repeated activity.
Active sitting
This is a method that engages your muscles more while sitting as compared to traditional, stationary seating postures. To incorporate active sitting, keep a comfortable, flexible cushion on your chair or sitting stool, that makes it easy for your pelvis to move and shift around while you are sitting. This will ensure that your back and core aren't as stressed and also ensures more activity through balancing, turning and stretching, even without you realising it much.
You can play with various postures too, like sitting cross-legged on your chair or stool, drawing alphabets in the air with your legs as you sit; sitting on the edge of the seat with your spine upright and knees at 90 degrees to engage your muscles and lose belly fat.
