Maybe you hit the gym for a couple of hard workouts or made it to your sweat sessions at Velocity this week. If so, that’s great!

Here’s the bad news – if you spend most of your day sitting behind a desk, you may still be subject to the negative effects of gravity and long periods of inactivity. Sitting for long periods of time causes imbalances in the body; the head and neck drop forward and the hips and abdomen shorten and tighten. The back slumps, eyes start to hurt and headaches ensue. And the list goes on.

What to do about it?

• Set a timer to stand up every 15 minutes
• Walk over to chat with a colleague instead of sending an email
• Pace the room while taking that conference call
• Keep some therabands or handweights under your desk or at home to use on calls or watching the must see tv show
• Do a quick 15-20 minute free online workout (my favorite: fitnessblender.com) during your lunch break
• Ask for a standing desk at work, or go write some emails at a high table in your cafeteria
• Stretch, stretch, stretch

Try incorporating these habits into your daily work routine to prevent pain and loss of flexibility. Your body and your workouts will thank you.