In February of 2017, I earned my Ashtanga and Restorative Yoga Teacher Training from Ken Harakuma (of the International Yoga Centre of Japan) and during my training, I learnt about the negative effects of a sedentary desk-bound life. To name a few,
- The Obvious Health Risk is weight gain, which can lead to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The more weight you gain, the harder your heart has to work.
- Loss of Flexibility occurs when the blood cannot flow freely due to tight inactive muscles, so the more sitting you do, the more your hip flexors and low back become particularly tight. Also making your abs and glutes weaker, and more pain and inflammation sensations.
- Lower Metabolism from a fewer calories burned due to the lack of movement and physical activity. An active life burns fat, a sedentary life shuts the body down.
- Osteoporosis. Your body is made to move. Muscles hold bones in place and muslces help you stand up right. Your bones are made to bear the weight of movement to stay strong. A sedentary lifestyle or sitting and inactivity can lead to osteoporosis, aka bad bones.
- Increased Chances of Dementia, Depression, and Anxiety. Your brain grows through movement, mind is more linked to moving than most realize, especially in the elderly. Basically the older you become, the more physical activity you need.
The above mentioned are only a few examples from a long list which I can reveal in detail through this Playlist I’ve created, so click here to explore more scientific-based evidence and educational material linked to Understanding Why Movement Matters.
For these reasons and more, I accepted the request from an illustrator to share an easy-to-perform yoga flow that can help relieve wrist, neck, shoulder and back pain through increasing mobility and flexibilty. In addition, this yoga flow can address tightness in the hip flexor by promoting blood flowing which can help get you back into shape.
The video above is part 1 to a series of 3 videos that showcase variations and different levels of difficulty to cater to an audience of different issues. Please let me know in the comments if this yoga flow helped you, and if not, let me know what needs to be addressed. Keep healthy, and stay safe.
Sedentary Life Issues mentioned above References: Medline Plus, Fitness19, Men’s Health, The Body by Science Book.
Raine Baljak 