Exercise prescription for people who sit in the office for a long time

Author: Wei Hongyan Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University

Reviewer: Li Xiaohong, Professor of the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University

Lack of physical activity has become a common phenomenon, especially among office workers. Long-term sitting work will increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and other diseases.

Long-term sitting will lead to insufficient muscle activity, which can cause a decrease in the body's metabolism and various functions to a certain extent, leading to excessive and persistent fatigue. Occupational diseases such as "computer neck", "strained waist", "office hips" and "mouse hand" are increasing among office workers.

1. Exercise is a good medicine

Exercise, as a "good medicine", can improve cardiopulmonary function, enhance muscle strength and joint stability, increase bone density, control weight, improve body immunity, and reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In addition, exercise can also improve sleep and improve the quality of life.

With the continuous implementation of the "National Fitness Plan (2021-2025)", people's health awareness continues to increase, and more systematic, comprehensive and scientific exercise methods can more effectively promote health and enhance physical fitness.

2. Best exercise prescription for office workers

Exercise prescription is a precise exercise guidance program based on accurate physical fitness and health assessment results combined with personal lifestyle. The regularity, moderation, effectiveness and safety of exercise are crucial. Formulating exercise prescriptions requires following certain standard procedures. Under the guidance of relevant exercise principles, personalized exercise plans should be designed according to the components of exercise prescriptions.

1. Principles of exercise prescription

The " FITT-VP principle " of exercise prescription provides people with a personalized plan. On this basis, adjustments are made according to the exerciser's exercise habits, exercise reactions, individual needs, physical limitations, adaptation, and the degree of change in exercise goals and objectives. Here is an introduction to what the "FITT-VP principle" is.

(1) F——Frequency of movement

1) Aerobic exercise: moderate-intensity aerobic exercise ≥ 5 days per week, or high-intensity aerobic exercise ≥ 3 days per week, or a combination of moderate and high-intensity aerobic exercise 3 to 5 days per week.

2) Resistance exercise: moderate resistance exercise 2 to 3 times a week.

(2) I – Exercise intensity

1) Aerobic exercise: low to relatively low intensity (<64% HRmax); moderate intensity (64% to 75% HRmax); moderate to high intensity (76% to 95% HRmax).

Among them, HRmax refers to the maximum heart rate, which can be directly tested by professional equipment or calculated indirectly using a formula. For example, the maximum heart rate of people with exercise habits = 220-age, the maximum heart rate of healthy people = 208-0.7×age, and the calculation formula that can be used by adults of all ages is maximum heart rate = 207-0.7×age (adults with good physical fitness or who can reach the level of physical fitness can also use this formula). It is recommended that most adults perform moderate to medium-high intensity aerobic exercise. For those who are in poor health or have no exercise habits, low to relatively low intensity aerobic exercise is preferred, and the exercise intensity should be adjusted according to the actual physical conditions.

2) Resistance exercise: low to relatively low intensity (<50% 1RM); moderate intensity (50% to 69% 1RM); relatively high to high intensity (70% to 84% 1RM).

Among them, 1RM refers to the maximum repetition value, which is the maximum weight that a person can carry when performing a certain action once. For beginners who have no exercise habits, it is recommended to choose medium to high intensity interval exercise; for those with exercise experience, it is recommended to choose high to high intensity exercise; for sedentary people, it is recommended to give priority to low to low intensity exercise and adjust the exercise intensity according to the actual physical condition.

3) Flexibility exercises: stretching to a state of tightness or slight discomfort but within a tolerable range.

(3) T – Exercise time

1) Aerobic exercise: Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise should be performed for 30 to 60 minutes per day, with each session lasting at least 10 minutes, totaling 150 to 300 minutes per week.

2) Resistance exercise: 30 to 60 minutes each time, with at least 1 day in between.

3) Flexibility exercise: Static stretch each muscle for 10 to 30 seconds each time.

(4) T – Movement type

A variety of exercise forms are recommended, such as aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, balance exercise and flexibility exercise. These forms of exercise can be combined in a variety of ways to perform regular, targeted, continuous and rhythmic exercise that uses major muscle groups. Due to the limitations of the working environment of office workers, it is recommended to adopt fragmented forms of exercise, that is, to use the time and space gaps in work and life as much as possible to maintain the rhythm of exercise. Each time can be shortened to 10 to 20 seconds or as long as 10 to 20 minutes, and can be adjusted freely according to one's own rhythm.

(5) V – Volume of exercise: at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, or an exercise intensity of more than 500 to 1000 METs (metabolic equivalents) per week, or at least 6000 steps of moderate-intensity walking per day.

(6) P——Movement Advancement

The progress of the exercise plan depends on the athlete's health, physical fitness, exercise response and the purpose of the exercise plan. The duration, frequency and intensity of the exercise are adjusted to gradually achieve the exercise goal. A gradual exercise plan can encourage athletes to persist in exercise and reduce the occurrence of skeletal muscle injuries and adverse cardiovascular events.

1) Start with low to moderate intensity exercise, and then gradually increase the amount of exercise.

2) At the beginning of the exercise prescription, it is recommended to gradually increase the exercise time or duration. The recommended exercise progress for an average adult is to extend the time of each exercise by 5 to 10 minutes every 1 to 2 weeks within 4 to 6 weeks of implementing the exercise prescription.

3) After exercising regularly for at least 1 month, gradually increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of exercise over the next 4 to 8 months (longer for people with low physical fitness) until the recommended amount of exercise is reached.

4) Before making any adjustments to the exercise prescription, the exerciser's reaction during exercise should be monitored to see if there are any adverse reactions due to the increased amount of exercise, such as shortness of breath, chest tightness, palpitations, etc. If the adjusted exercise plan cannot be tolerated, the amount of exercise should be reduced in time, or the exercise should be stopped before making a plan.

2. Recommended office exercises

(1) Performance: Yoga, rhythmic gymnastics, aerobics, Ba Duan Jin, Wu Qin micro-exercise and other sports that mainly use body language and multi-dimensional movements are also a good way to "beautify" the emotions of office workers.

(2) Reversal: refers to movements that are opposite to one’s normal movement patterns, such as walking or running backwards. These movements can help to soothe the mind, relax the mood, and help the body mobilize muscles that are not normally activated, thereby promoting muscle function and improving physical health.

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

(3) Finger exercises: pinching, kneading, rubbing, pulling, flicking, pressing and other finger exercises are helpful to make the brain more sensitive and relieve stress.

(4) Other forms: brisk walking in corridors or hallways, doing cervical and lumbar exercises, etc., can protect your health in a targeted manner.

Note: The above recommended office exercises can be selected according to your actual situation and office environment, and then combined with the FITT-VP principle to design exercise prescriptions to gradually improve your physical health.

3. Three things to note about your lifestyle

1. Avoid

Avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time. Long-term sitting or standing can seriously harm your health and may lead to obesity, varicose veins, cervical spondylosis, lumbar spondylosis, etc. It is recommended that you sit for no more than 1 hour, and you can change your posture dynamically (such as sitting and moving, stretching, etc.).

2. Second, adjust

(1) Adjust the “layout” of your desk: Placing a pot of water-grown plants on your desk can increase the humidity of the local environment and improve your physical and mental state.

Figure 2 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

(2) Adjust your sitting posture

Figure 3 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

1) Follow the "three right angles" principle, that is, try to make the elbow flexed 90 degrees, the torso and thigh 90 degrees, and the thigh and calf 90 degrees.

2) Loosen your legs and feet and support yourself with both feet.

3) Maintain a moderate posture with your chin slightly retracted, shoulders and chest expanded, core tight, and torso upright.

3. Three things to keep on track

(1) Rest your eyes regularly. Follow the "20-20-20 principle for eye protection", which means looking into the distance (20 feet, about 6 meters) for at least 20 seconds after using electronic products such as computers, mobile phones, and tablets for 20 minutes. If you are busy at work, it is recommended to rest your eyes regularly according to the actual situation.

Figure 4 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

(2) Eat on time. Long-term irregular eating will affect gastrointestinal function and is not conducive to weight loss. If you are unable to eat on time due to work reasons, it is recommended to eat some healthy foods such as fruits and cereals first.

(3) Take a regular lunch break. Taking a nap is a good habit for maintaining health. A 20-30 minute nap helps restore brain function. It should be noted that you should try to avoid sleeping on your stomach to avoid compressing your internal organs.

References

[1] Ren Hong. Interpretation of the principles of formulating exercise prescriptions[J]. Sports Science Research, 2023, 44(1): 31-36.

[2] Zhang Yongwen. Micro-exercises in the office keep you motivated[J]. Family Medicine, 2020, 10: 37.

[3] Zheng Qi, Zhang Yuan, Wang Yuntao. Investigation and analysis of physical exercise and sports injuries among office workers[J]. Contemporary Sports Science and Technology, 2020, 10(35): 21-25.

[4] American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Exercise Prescription [M]. Translated by Wang Zhengzhen. 10th edition. Beijing: Beijing Sports University Press, 2019.