‘Strength breaks’ at work may offset the effects of too much sitting

Salford, England — Are people at your workplace experiencing back pain after sitting at their desks all day? If so, consider incorporating strength training into your office’s weekly work routine, one expert recommends.

Ashley Gluchowski, a clinical exercise physiologist at the University of Salford in England, says that although taking “strength breaks” at work may sound like a strange concept, it’s “one of the best things you can do to protect your health and mitigate the adverse effects of a sedentary job.”

To help workers integrate strength training into their workday, Gluchowski has developed a four-step, eight-week program. Here’s how it works: Step 1 (weeks 1 and 2): Building confidence is key as workers do five exercises – squats, reverse lunges, kickstand deadlifts, overhead shoulder presses and bent-over rows – using only their body weight. Start with one set of 12 repetitions for each exercise and rest for a minute in between. Do this twice a week and work up to three sets. Step 2 (end of week 2): Find a kettlebell or a set of dumbbells and safely store them near desks. Have employees choose a weight that they can do two to eight reps with to start and build from there. Step 3 (weeks 3-8): Adding in the new equipment, do two to 12 reps and two to three sets of each exercise twice a week (changing the regular squat to a goblet squat). Focus on good form. Step 4 (week 8 and beyond): Add a heavier weight every four to six weeks as strength improves. Starting with week 8, do two to 12 reps of the same five exercises two to three times a week.

Along with gaining strength, employees will experience improved sleep and mood and boost their immune system, Gluchowski says.