Flab from Sedentary Office Chair Use

Sitting in an office chair for long periods leads to the accumulation of flab, especially the phenomenon of 'office buttocks', which can be improved through exercise and dietary adjustments.

Exercise

• Walking after meals: Taking a short walk within 30 minutes after lunch can promote gastrointestinal motility and the digestion and absorption of food, preventing weight gain. This utilizes the principle that exercise promotes energy consumption and metabolism, avoiding the conversion of food into fat in the body.
• Calf stretching: Sit shallowly on a chair, bend the right leg, and stretch the left leg straight. Do this 5 - 10 times a day, with each stretch lasting about 10 minutes. Long-term adherence can help control weight. Stretching the calves can activate local parts of the body, promote blood circulation, and be beneficial for overall metabolism.
• Workstation training:
  • Wall squats: Lean your back against the wall and slowly squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, holding for 30 seconds. This exercise can reawaken the 'dormant' gluteus maximus, enhance the strength of the buttock muscles, and improve the 'memory loss' problem of the gluteus maximus caused by prolonged sitting.
  • Seated leg raises: Sit in the front third of the chair, tighten your abdomen, and slowly raise your legs to a horizontal position, keeping your toes straight for 15 seconds. This can simultaneously exercise the quadriceps and core muscle groups, enhance leg and abdominal strength, and improve the body's metabolic level.
  • Resistance band training: Place a mini resistance band around the outside of your thighs and move sideways in groups of 15. This can precisely stimulate the gluteus medius. After 6 weeks of training, the circumference of the buttocks can increase by 2 - 3 centimeters, effectively improving the shape of the buttocks.
  • Glute bridges: Lie flat, bend your knees, and raise your buttocks until your shoulders, hips, and knees form a straight line, holding for 5 seconds. Those with mild gluteal muscle atrophy should do 3 sets a day to rebuild the muscle memory of the buttocks and enhance their function.
  • Side-lying leg raises: Do 15 raises on each side to strengthen the gluteus minimus. This is suitable for those with moderate gluteal muscle atrophy and helps improve the overall firmness of the buttocks.
• Regular breaks: Stand up and move around every hour, such as doing simple back kicks or side lunges. This can break the state of metabolic stagnation, avoid fat accumulation, and promote blood circulation and metabolism in the body.

Diet

• Consume more foods high in fiber: This can promote the metabolism of toxins in the body, enhance gastrointestinal function, help the body excrete waste, and reduce fat accumulation.
• Ensure adequate protein intake: For every kilogram of body weight, supplement with 1.2 - 1.5 grams of protein. Greek yogurt and chicken breast are the best choices. Protein is an important raw material for muscle synthesis, helping to maintain and increase muscle mass and improve the basal metabolic rate.
• Supplement with vitamin D: Consuming deep-sea fish three times a week can enhance training effects and promote muscle synthesis. Vitamin D has an important impact on muscle function and helps improve muscle problems caused by prolonged sitting.