Saving the Desk Warrior: Small Moves for Big Health Gains
This blog is dedicated to our hard working Desk Warriors, the ones who, day in and day out, perform the tasks that keep our world turning. Over the past five decades, the number of Desk Warriors has steadily increased. Since 1960, the percentage of people working in desk based jobs has grown by 10%. It’s estimated that at least 25% of all jobs involve sitting behind a desk for more than 30 minutes at a time (1). Even more concerning, it’s believed that those in this category spend two thirds of their day at their desks. By most standards, this would classify them as having sedentary jobs.
This sedentary behavior, common in office environments, is considered a risk factor for developing cardiometabolic disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease, and musculoskeletal disorders. Sounds a little scary, doesn’t it? But don’t worry, help is right here.
The potential health risks tied to Desk Warrior jobs can feel overwhelming. You might even feel like there’s nothing you can do. But have no fear, Dr. Hinkle is here.
My number one tip for anyone who sits for most of their workday is to incorporate exercise snacks. Some sources refer to this concept as “snacktivity,” which I think is awesome. Whatever you call them, these short bouts of movement have been shown to help lower the risk of future disease (2).
As we’ve mentioned before, something as simple as a 10 minute walk before or after a meal can significantly improve blood glucose levels, especially if you’re diabetic or prediabetic (3). It doesn’t have to be anything extreme to yield benefits. All too often, the biggest hurdle my patients face is the belief that exercise is too time consuming. While I’ll be the first to say that more exercise is usually better, some exercise is absolutely better than none.
To make things even more accessible, a study published last year found that doing 10 squats every 45 minutes can help control blood glucose levels. So, if you’ve been sitting for a while, just stand up and do 10 bodyweight squats right at your desk (4). It’s that easy.
Of course, we also want to acknowledge those who experience pain when exercising. That’s where we come in. At Orange County Chiropractic, we take a comprehensive history to fully understand each individual’s condition. With this information, we can create a personalized treatment plan to support meaningful improvement.
If pain or discomfort is holding you back, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Orange County Chiropractic, where we believe in quality over quantity when it comes to your care.
Church, T. S., Thomas, D. M., Tudor-Locke, C., Katzmarzyk, P. T., Earnest, C. P., Rodarte, R. Q., Martin, C. K., Blair, S. N., & Bouchard, C. (2011). Trends over 5 decades in U.S. occupation-related physical activity and their associations with obesity. PloS one, 6(5), e19657. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019657
Jones, M. D., Clifford, B. K., Stamatakis, E., & Gibbs, M. T. (2024). Exercise Snacks and Other Forms of Intermittent Physical Activity for Improving Health in Adults and Older Adults: A Scoping Review of Epidemiological, Experimental and Qualitative Studies. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 54(4), 813–835. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01983-1
Francois, M. E., Baldi, J. C., Manning, P. J., Lucas, S. J., Hawley, J. A., Williams, M. J., & Cotter, J. D. (2014). 'Exercise snacks' before meals: a novel strategy to improve glycaemic control in individuals with insulin resistance. Diabetologia, 57(7), 1437–1445. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-014-3244-6
Gao, Y. (n.d.). Enhanced muscle activity during interrupted sitting improves glycemic control in overweight and obese men - Gao - 2024 - scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports - wiley online library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sms.14628
