Lockdown Health Break-Balance Edition

- The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of our lives in many ways.
- We have all felt the effects weather it be socially, emotionally, financially, physically. Most likely a combination of those things.
- Spending more time at home leads to longer stretches of sitting for most people.
- Let’s review the concept of sedentary behaviours and “sitting disease”

Sedentary behaviour and “sitting disease”

It is recommended that you walk a minimum of 250 steps per waking hour and accumulate at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week to avoid the negative effects of “Sitting Disease”.
“Sitting disease” is a term, not a diagnosable condition used to emphasize the significant health risks associated with sedentary behaviour. While some sedentary behaviour throughout the day is normal, too much can lead to several health concerns.
Sedentary behaviour is any waking behaviour that requires minimal energy and occurs while in a sitting, reclining or lying position. Some examples of sedentary behaviour are sitting while using electronic devices (working form home, online learning etc.), reading, eating, watching television and commuting.
Too much sedentary behaviour has been linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, higher rates of obesity, muscular weakness, joint pain, some types of cancer, and even premature death.
The Lockdown Health break – Balance edition is designed to help with some of the increased sedentary behaviour that we may be experiencing due to ‘lockdown’ or ‘stay at home orders’. The exercises featured in this video are aimed to target muscles required to maintain balance and that improve proprioception.

This video includes 8 mini activity breaks (~ 1-2 minutes each)
Featured exercises include a strength and or balance component and each ‘Health Break’ includes 1-2 exercises.
You are encouraged to select and 8 hour stretch of your day [i.e. 8-4; 9-5 etc.] and set an alarm on your watch, phone or computer to remind you to complete your health break each hour.
If a particular exercise featured does not work well for you, use the 1-2 minutes of the video to march on the spot or walk around your home.
If you complete 1 activity break each hour you will complete this video by end of day (8 hours)

This is an unsupervised online exercise video. We advise all participants to review their current exercise/fitness level to determine if this session is appropriate for you.
If high intensity exercise is new to you please discuss with your physician, prior to participating.
Do not start an exercise session if you are feeling unwell and discontinue exercise if symptoms arise. Symptoms may include but are not limited to; shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, light-headiness. If you develop worsening symptoms that are not relived by rest – seek medical attention.
Remember you are in control of your own workout. Exercise at your own level/pace.
Please complete a 3-5 minutes warm up prior to starting this exercise routine.

- Speak to an Exercise Therapist.
- Check out our “Lets Get Moving” video in the continuing education section of this web-site
- Try the “Lockdown Health Break” and “Lockdown Health Break-Stretching” (coming soon) under the exercise demonstration section of this web-site