I was recently chatting to Sahar from Fat Fighter TV about blogging and asked if she could come up with some ways for us bloggers (read that as ME) to keep fit. Sahar went beyond what I expected and came back with 10 exercises for us to do WHILE STILL BLOGGING!
As bloggers, we tend to do a lot of sitting as we write, Tweet, Stumble, etc. By the end of the day it’s easy to feel tense, sore and sedentary. But since this is just so unhealthy, I’ve come up with some things we can all do to help us get fit as we blog – exercises to get our heart rate up, help us tone up and de-stress. All at the comfort of our blogging desk… or close by.
1. Cyber Squats – Who says you have to sit when you’re online? Set your chair aside for a few minutes and instead do squats as you write your next blog post, comment, or when you cruise around the Web. I’m squatting as I write this post – ouch!
2. RSS Raises – As you’re sitting at your desk, straighten your knees and lift your legs out in front of you. Do this as you catch up on your favorite blogs on your RSS reader.
3. 10 Minute Move it! Break #1 – Alternate jogging in place with jumping jacks – do a minute of each and repeat 5 times.
4. Twitter Tummy Tone – Tighten your abs for 30 seconds and then release. Do this as you tweet.
5. Social Squeezes – Tighten your glutes for 30 seconds and then release. (Good thing noone can see you at this social, right?) Repeat as you Stumble, Digg, or Friend on Facebook.
6. 10 Minute Move it! Break #2 – Grab a step stool and climb up and down – get creative if you like and alternate knee lifts at the top of the step.
7. Inbox Incline – While you’re sitting with your feet on the floor, raise your heels so you are on the balls of your feet and lower them. make sure you can feel it in your calves. Do this as you read and reply to your emails.
8. 10 Minute Move it! Break #3 – Do walking lunges around the house. Want to make it more challenging? Add some weights and do bicep curls at the same time.
9. Blogger Breather – Grab a quick minute to just close your eyes and focus on your breath. Count to 10 as you slowly inhale through your nose, thinking positive thoughts. Exhale through your mouth, again counting to 10. This time release all the tension and stress out of your body. Repeat if you have a few more seconds.
10. Sign Off Stretches – Your neck and shoulders can get pretty tense when you sit at a computer too long. So loosen them up throughout the day with:
- Shoulder shrugs – with your head at your chest, shrug your shoulders up and down.
- Neck Rolls – relax your shoulders and let your head roll forward. Slowly rotate your head in a circle. Repeat five times.
Do these exercises throughout the day to avoid blogger booty! You’ll feel better which could help you blog better.
Anyone else have some blogger exercises to share?
Read more of Sahar’s work at Fat Fighter TV.
Great piece. I saw a desk featured on CNN that was attached to a treadmill.
Love the post! I, too, want one of those chair & desk setups. If I tried leaning back that far on mine I’d be on the floor…
I’m one of those non-full time bloggers, so I get a few extra exercises in:
* Fast Jumps: when I realise how late it is and how close I am to missing my bus. Also good for fast elevation of the heart rate
* Manic Panic: rushing to throw everything from the fridge into the bag for lunch (the stuff that can be, is packed the night before), then race around turning lights off etc before I go
* Running for said bus as it’s already heading down the road
and finally
* Stepping machine. Well, actually it’s not a machine. Just hundreds of steps at the train station either end…
I feel priveleged to comment on this blog … but I’ll start here. I’m not a couch potato, but a computer potato – same difference. But knowing that sitting all day isn’t good for your health. These tips are good and could become habitual.
Habitual is good if its good habitual.
I agree about getting some fresh air, as some of you have already mentioned. When the weather is nice, I definitely go outside and go for a walk. If it’s one of those crazy, busy days, I do quick 10 minute walks around my neighborhood – it’s always nice to get away from the computer!
Great article. We could all use a break from sitting behind a desk. My advice… 30 mins of exercise at least 4 times a week. These 10 tidbits don’t count as REAL exercise.
Darren– this is a fabulous post. The Big Wide World of Blogging has just recently opened up to me, so I’ve been spending TONS of time obsessively checking stats, signing up with new directories, tweaking code, etc. I am getting no exercise. I am SO GLAD you posted this article. It not only made me laugh, it gave me some practical ideas, too. Death to blogger booty!
Ha these are excellent, great article and I love the titles. :)
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite sites. Thanks! great tips…I have passed on in Twitter and have Digged it.
Interesting approach to exercise…probably better to just turn of the computer though and not multi task ;)
No Dr. Pepper break? I mean, Dr. Pepper Arm Curls are great for the biceps.
Interesting post Darren. I keep a few dumbbells next to my desk, and no, those aren’t my co-workers.
Nice tips Sahar!
I also keep one of those “hand grips” on my desk, to do while i’m reading or watching some videos.
Funniest thing I’ve read all day. My move is called the “coffee shop hop”, which is hopping from one coffee shop to the next several times a day.
I was talking to someone the other day who suggested sitting on one of those balanace/yoga ball things rather than a chair at your desk.
Not tried it but but since my back has been sore lately I might try it to improve my posture!
I’m sorry, but I really don’t like this post. You don’t need a whole lot of time to get and stay in shape. Just ten minutes of intensity is all you need. If you’re too lazy to exercise properly, then you’ll never get in shape, no matter how much you blog.
I love these tips! I feel my arse spreading out each day but find it hard to pull myself away from the computer. Now I can do something about it. And the balance ball idea is wonderful.
I love these tips and most of them I do but without realizing it but from now on I will use these tips and never have a muscle, back or neck pain I usually get by blogging. Thanks for such a funny, interesting and useful post.
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Mohammad Afaq
Free Website Traffic
i always break in my computer because get loses connection internet :D
Cool post, right up my street. I do silly things to keep fit at my computer but I could do more and this has given me some ideas. Thanks.
Or … blog from a gorgeous tropical island (probably costing less than $360 a month) then just pop into the sea for a quick swim every now and again!
Oh, make sure you get dried off before you get back on the keyboard!
be genki,
Richard
http://www.LocationFreeLifestyle.com
Try surfing few sports blog. In this way, u can actually get inspired to stay fit as the sports bloggers are.
I tried number 10. and it worked really well for me. Thanks for such a great post. I relieved my neck and shoulder pain. Thanks.
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Mohammad Afaq
Free Website Traffic
I think the only way I’m going to get any exercise these days (other than chasing my toddler) would be by putting my gazelle, right in the office.
My biggest problem with being on the computer a lot, is that it wreaks havoc on my knees.
Yes, we need to be taking LOTS of breaks, but also taking an hour or two out in the middle of the day and going to the gym, or something more substantial like that.
Also, I am no expert on ergonomics, but the woman’s setup in the picture doesn’t look good:
– no armrests, hence her arms are “hovering”
– she is tipped right back and is having to lean her head forward to see the (miniscule) monitor, and even then it is not at eye-level where it should be.
However, I have yet to find the ideal desk/chair combination myself so I still plan to get a desk custom-made at some point soon…
One of the best methods of excercise is to get outside. Get away from your computer for a while. Focus your energy on excercise, a change of scenery will help you as a blogger to generate a new ideas for your blog. That you may not have noticed in your working environment.
But I thought all bloggers were making six figures while blogging 2 hours a day? The rest of the day is spent on leisure activities?
I really do live the dot com lifestyle where I go to the gym in the afternoon 3 times a week, do a 5 mile jog in the afternoons on non-gym days, work from home, meet my kids from school etc. I do spend alot of time in front of the comp but I damn well make sure I do some strenuous exercise everyday.
I can’t remember the last time I was sick and exercise is a key factor in that.
So yea, ridiculous post – complete with ridiculous exercise names. :)
Great ideas!!! I’ve been wondering how to stay in shape while I blog and now I know. Love the exercise names too : ).
I had to actually laugh considering I already do quite a few of these. Great article Darren
Loved, loved, loved it! I hope I’m as creative as you when I’m blogging, great post and really enjoyed it. At least there is some very valuable info there and something to certainly think about as most of us sit all day long!
Just had back surgery and I have been doing quite a bit of walking with the results of being sore. However, your tips should help me quite a bit!
Thanks Perry, you are wonderful!
Deb :)
Great information and I think it’s a little tongue and cheek as well. Everyone needs to get away from the blog desk for a while, right?
I enjoy my escape to the gym, river, park, whatever. It gives me a chance to get some fresh air and see the world. With the popularity of the Wii Fit though we have even less reason to leave or homes!
This is great, this goes with any desk job. You should always get up and move around at least a little bit. Sitting down all day is not great for the physique.
Like Ashe Mischief, I use a balance ball for part of the day. Your waist and abs get a real workout.
I also make a point of not sitting still for more than 1 hour at a time. I get up after each hour and move for at least 10 minutes. Sometimes I walk around the yard, clean house, or play with my cats – anything to move!
I love the suggestion by Lil Sis – very brilliant. I’m going to move my laptop over to the counter right now and get jiggy with it.
Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions!
Finally, an excercise routine I can stick with :)
Haha I should do this!!! I never do exercise.. time to start.
One of the best exercises for me blogging and body-wise is getting away from the computer and going for a walk. I will often plan out a whole week of blog posts while hustling my butt up and down the hills here in San Sebastian.
Hmm, we do need this kind of activity every now and then.. #10 is easy and I’m doing it every now and then.
I think more people need to focus on RSS Raises. As the world continues to turn on their PC’s, a little workout might keep off the muffin tops.
fun article. I love the picture at the top! WIll definitely try out a few, if not all, of the exercises whilst siting in front of the screen. Thanks
I’m a programmer and tech journalist by day and a figure skating coach by night (well, two nights a week, anyway). I can’t be on the ice more these days, so I sneak in all sorts of exercise-while-I-do-something-else exercises.
Brushing your teeth should take three minutes, right? So, stand on one leg for a minute and a half and then switch. When you start, you may find you have to put your other foot down often. Don’t give up, your balance will improve quickly if you just keep trying. This strengthens your ankles and improves your balance.
Addendum, once you have the balancing down pat, do the same thing, but with your free leg held straight in front of you, straight to the side, or behind you, as high as you can, for as long as you can. (Oh, the burn, the burn!!!)
These are awesome. I like to work standing up. I have my station at a higher level so I can stand and I have a stool/high-chair for sit breaks. It really helps my posture and blood flow.
I tried exercising while blogging and it worked pretty fine for me in the beginning but yesterday and today I felt that I can’t concentrate on my blog and I just write jumbled posts with grammar mistakes. I would not want to do that so I dropped my plan of exercising while blogging and I think the pain I get in my shoulders and neck is worth it because I don’t mistakes while typing. From today onwards I have increased my basketball practice time and I will do my exercise that way.
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Mohammad Afaq
Free Website Traffic
hoho..i guess we really will fit if we doing something like that..
‘Twitter Tummy Tone’ is a good idea but bad when you are a twitter spammer.. You need to catch up your breath.. Anyway, how about spending a real 30 minutes workout.. :)
WOW, very interesting, and can you believe this, I just, just wrote a comic post about the dangers of blogging to your health. If you don’t mind me sharing the post address, it fits so well with this article its scary. Oh, and how weird is the timing?
here is that url to the post: http://www.integralwebsolutions.co.za/Blog/EntryId/152/Blogging-can-seriously-damage-your-health.aspx
The initial title of this post made me laugh, but yet I’m actually doing 2 out of the 10 things that you posted up. The more I read the other exercises, the more it started to make sense to me. Heh.
Cheers,
Gat
Excellent post! Sitting in front of the computer too long takes on the eyes as well.So, I work one hour at the time and then take short brakes.Besides, it´s funny how the best ideas always come when you are out taking a walk or doing something completely different than blogging.
Eat less, exercise more. Simple.
Great post. This was really, up my street. Just this week I have been getting aching shoulders from sitting in one position too long. So I posted a comical article on blogging and health. Just today in fact. Reading this I think it compliments this topic well. have a look at http://www.integralwebsolutions.co.za/Blog/EntryId/152/Blogging-can-seriously-damage-your-health.aspx
PS, I did try to post this comment before, but I think my ADSL went down, so apologies if it is duplicated.
Good cyber fitness tips.
Great article! As I type this, I’m sitting on a stability ball.
These are great!
Exercise can be a really great stress reliever, too (the endorphins can be a great pick-me-up and the physical activity can blow off steam), so this can help overwhelmed workers (read: most of us?) feel less stressed at the end of the day and during.
Thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth