Wake up your legs after sitting all day

Many of us spend a large portion of our days sitting down and this can lead to soreness and stiffness in the muscles. Plus, leading a sedentary lifestyle has been closely associated with an increased risk of chronic disease, including obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, type two diabetes, metabolic syndrome, stroke, and some forms of cancer.

Sitting down all day burns fewer calories and increases the chance of weight gain. It can reduce muscle activity, lower bone density, reduce circulation, and increase inflammation. It can also cause hormonal imbalances that can lead to further problems.

Therefore, regular movement throughout the day is important to reduce muscle stiffness as much as possible and to promote better health and well-being. While there’s nothing much that you can do if you’re required to work at a desk all day, there are ways to incorporate exercise into your day-to-day routine.

Adding more movement into your day not only improves your overall health but also keeps your legs awake. It keeps blood pumping through your body, including into your peripheries, to help reduce stiffness and numbness.

Exercises to wake up your legs

Here are some suggestions to wake up your legs after you’ve been sitting down for a long time. Ideally, you can perform some of these exercises at regular intervals into your day, as well as at the end of your full working day in the office.

1. On-the-spot jogging
2. High knees
3. Jumping squats (or bodyweight squats for a lower-intensity version)
4. Front lunges
5. Side lunges
6. Standing calf raises
7. Lower body static stretches (this is a great low-intensity option too)