active break at work for body & mind
After sitting on a chair for more than 1 hour I experience a lot of stiffness in my body. Are you the same? Then read on cause I’ve found my way to bring relax & relief to my body, it might be inspiring.
Why does a seemingly calm & not physically demanding work at a desk bring so much damage to the body? It’s a question & answer in one. What at first glance seems not physically demanding, in practice turns out to be extremely demanding! Whether I’m working at a computer, a piece of paper or a sewing machine, I make a series of small repeating movements. Clicking on the keyboard, moving a pencil or pen, manipulating objects in the hands. All this means that in repeated series I use the same parts of the muscles in a circle, at the same time immobilizing the rest of the body.
Does that already sound logical? Think about the position your body is in when your job is about sitting. About the load and deactivation of individual parts of the body. From my experience, the things that get hit most can be divided into 3 groups:
– hips & core,
– neck & shoulders,
– arms & wrists.
Searching for ways to get out of this impasse and bring myself relief, I reached for the hula hoop to explore and see if it could help me relax and release my tense body.
The results of these experiments are great and I am using them regularly now. First of all, by putting the body and its needs in the first place, I opened myself to the search for movement techniques, which are not necessarily typical hula hoop tricks. This is how I came up with, among others the ingenious use of the hula hoop as a massager!
What makes it difficult for me to mobilize myself to exercise during a short break during work, or even pay attention to the condition of my body? In my case, it is the ability to disconnect from work, forget and calm down, which additionally bring refreshment and allow me to return to action with fresh ideas. So the first thing I do is: turn on my favorite music and linger a while in the free flow, following the sounds and entering my relaxation space.
Below you will find four videos where I share my ideas for a hula hoop break at work. Each of them is a guided session that you can use in your own way – by modifying the exercises or their duration. The first focuses on disconnecting from the surrounding situation, running thoughts, or just mental exhaustion. If you need guidance for the first time to try and discover your way, I invite you to a calming and disconnecting hula hoop session.
If you also have your proven methods for an effective break from work, share them with me and other readers in the comments.
Enjoy it & let me know if you like it.
