During a consultation with a client recently, we wrote down a typical day for her. It looked a bit like this.
Sit down to eat breakfast
Sit on a bus
Sit at a desk
Sit down at the gym (on a stationary bike, rowing machine, seated leg press, seated chest press, seated lat pull down…)
Sit on the bus back home
Sit down for dinner and TV
My client didn’t actually realise how many hours she spent sat down, until we added it all up. So, we talked through some easy ways for her to become more active. Things like getting on and off the bus a couple of stops earlier. Standing up every 30 minutes, and walking over to talk to someone rather than messaging them. These small adjustments could all add up to make a big difference to her daily activity levels.
However, the part of my client’s day that got me really thinking, was when she was exercising. The majority of her time at the gym was spent sat down on exercise machines. Considering she spent most of her day sat down, this was one hour where she could actually be up on her feet and moving around.
Rather than the seated weight machines, I suggested using free weights (think dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, sandbags, barbells etc). These require greater muscle activation, especially from the core stabilisation muscles, and tend to use more natural, everyday movements.
For her cardio fitness, I encouraged her to head outside for a powerwalk or run. The uneven terrain will increase the number of muscles she is able to recruit. And she’s likely to get a mental health and energy boost from being out in the fresh air and in nature.
Finally, I suggested she could include some balance and agility workouts at home in the evening. This would not only get her moving around, but would challenge her co-ordination, strength and proprioception.
We’re now working together to put all of these ideas into a tailored, progressive plan. We’ll be exploring different ways of creatively working-out using body weight and free weights. And we’ll be meeting up to do all of this outside in the park!
So, I’m now curious, how many more people go to the gym to sit down?
