OVERCOME your SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE (A Practical Guide to Improving Health, Fitness, and Well-being for Desk Dwellers and Couch Potatoes) PJ Sharon All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, or as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the author. This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. Note to reader: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subjects addressed in the publication. The recommendations described herein are meant to supplement, and not to be a substitute for, professional medical care or treatment. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical, health, or any other kind of professional services in the book. The reader should consult his or her medical, health, or other competent professional before adopting any of the suggestions in this book or drawing inferences from it. The author and publisher specifically disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book. Cover by The Killion Group Stock Photos via Deposit Photos and Big Stock Photos Photography by Sally Ames Vaillancourt Edited by Judy Roth Copyright © 2016 PJ Sharon All rights reserved. ISBN: 10:1519110502 ISBN-13:978-1519110503 DEDICATION For my clients and writer pals suffering the ravages of Sedentary Lifestyle Syndrome. Take heart, there is hope. Lives are changed one choice at a time. I also dedicate this book to my yoga students, who keep me grounded and give me another reason to come down from my mountain. I appreciate each and every one of you. Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION Chapter 1 Understanding Your Body Chapter 2 Prevention Chapter 3 Pain Management Chapter 4 Choosing your Health Care Team Chapter 5 Fighting the Battle of the Bulge Chapter 6 Metabolic Syndrome Chapter 7 Importance of Sleep Chapter 8 Ergonomics 101 Chapter 9 Exercise Basics Chapter 10 Stretching Exercises Chapter 11 Strengthening Exercises Chapter 12 Treatment and Self Care Chapter 13 Stress Management 101 Chapter 14 Making or Breaking a Habit Chapter 15 Tips for Special Groups Chapter 16 PJ’s Snack Healthy Tips & Smoothie Recipes ABOUT THE AUTHOR Other books by PJ Sharon ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, thank you to my clients, friends, and professional contacts who encouraged me to write this book. They’ve told me it’s long overdue. I hope this is what you had in mind. Otherwise, I might have to write another. For now, this should tide you over. The final product would not be what it is without my fabulous photographer friend, Sally Vaillincourt , whose generosity and enthusiasm for this project brings tears to my eyes. Thanks for your patience, perseverance, and vision. I want to also thank Linda Pollock, owner of Back in Touch Wellness in Granby, CT., for being my model on this project and for supporting me in countless ways. You’re as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. To my social media friends on Facebook, Twitter, and around the cyber-sphere, thanks for spreading the love. Title credit goes to Bill and Katy Lee, and thanks to Kim Gorman for help with the tag line, “Stand up for your life!” Brilliant! I’d like to add a huge shout out to my writer friends, who are the most amazing group of generous, creative, dynamic, and hardest working people I’ve ever met. You all rock and I couldn’t do this without you. A special thanks to my beta readers Christine Wunch, Corinna Lawson, and Joy Smith, and my editor on this project, Judy Roth. You make me work hard for it, but the final draft is always worth the effort. Thanks for pushing me to do my best. You helped put the shine on it. Last, but most certainly not least, thank you to my wonderfully patient and talented husband, aka, the “tech-spert .” I would be hopelessly lost without your love, support, and encouragement. You are the best man I’ve ever known. INTRODUCTION I often ask my friends in the writing community, “Is your writing killing you?” They know me well enough to realize that I am only half joking. But for those of you who suffer from “Sedentary Lifestyle Syndrome,” hereby known as SLS , you understand completely. If you spend hours a day at your desk or in your car, or find yourself imprisoned by your computers and perpetually attached to your cell phones, iPads and e-readers, you know the pitfalls of the sedentary and chair-bound lifestyle all too well. Do you suffer neck and back pain, poor posture, symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, or even significant weight gain from all the sitting you do? With today’s fast paced, digitized world, we’re all finding ourselves in this predicament and there seems to be no end in sight to the perils of techno-overload and the inevitable decline of our health as a result. Leading researchers in the medical community are claiming that “sitting is the new smoking.” Research shows that prolonged sitting increases your risk for cancer, heart disease, obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and even depression. James Levine, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist and researcher, says obese people sit on average two-and-a-half hours more every day than thinner people. If that’s not enough reason to get up off the couch or move away from your desk every half hour, I challenge you to find your own “WHY.” What will it take for you to make a change right now? Do you want to see your children and grandchildren grow up? Do you want to fit into that closet full of clothes that have somehow “shrunk” while on the hanger? One of the many great lessons I’ve learned from fitness guru, Jillian Michaels, is to find your “WHY.” Reminding yourself of why you’re fighting to get fit when the going gets tough will give you the strength to overcome any challenge you might face with the “HOW.” This book was written for all of you writers, readers, desk dwellers, and self-proclaimed couch potatoes out there. In this practical guide, I’ll help you understand your body and your pain, and its relationship to posture, bio-mechanics, and ergonomics (the study of human capabilities in relation to work demands—or, to simplify for our purposes—workstation setup). I’ll offer simple, easy to implement suggestions for improving your workstation, dietary tips to combat what I call, “the sitter’s spread,” and exercises to prevent and alleviate common orthopedic conditions that result from prolonged sitting, poor posture, and faulty ergonomics. With over twenty-five years in the health and fitness profession, first as a Physical Therapist Assistant, and then as a Licensed Massage Therapist, personal trainer, and yoga instructor, I have learned the skills it takes to maintain my own health and well-being while working as a full time writer and business owner. I won’t lie and say it’s easy, or that I don’t have my struggles. We all do! But the information I’ll share with you in this book will give you a solid foundation and the tools you need to effectively care for yourself and take control of your body, your health, and your life. If you think I don’t understand your suffering, think again. I live with, and manage, chronic pain every day. After years of abusing my body with sports, car accidents, and repetitive traumas, my spine is unstable. Ligaments that hold my spine and pelvis together have become over stretched, causing daily occurrences of misalignment. Thank goodness I know how to fix it when my neck or low back “go out.” Short of fusing my spine (not an option since I’m functional and healthy), or treating me with pain meds (also not an option—by my choice), there isn’t much that Western Medicine can do for me. X- rays show that I have arthritis (Degenerative Joint Disease) and bone spurs in my neck and back, and with the amount of sitting/writing I do, it’s an uphill battle to live pain-free and med- free, keep my weight under control, and wear a happy smile every day. But at 51 years-old and a grandmother, I can still drop and do twenty-five push-ups, stand on my head, and heft 40 pound bags of pellets into my pellet stove when old man winter comes calling. I exercise regularly, eat relatively healthy, and take daily supplements and natural remedies, but nothing narcotic for pain management. The tips I’ve included in this book can get you to that level of functional fitness in spite of your struggle to sit up straight at the computer or the chronic pain in the neck that isn’t your aunt Josephine. (I have no cure for pesky relatives.) I’ve treated hundreds of clients over the years who have benefited from the helpful advice and simple, life-changing tips I’ll share with you in the following chapters. I’ll guide you through choosing your health-care team and give you simple exercises you can do—even at your desk. Testimonial: As a writer and a publicist, I spend a lot of time sitting at my computer. After learning and following the simple stretching and ergonomics lessons taught by Ms. Sharon, I have less tension and can work for longer periods of time without painful interruption. Jennifer F. (Author and publicist) Included in the book are my best, stay slim secrets, quick-fix stretches, and ways to adjust your workstation set up, “MacGyver” style. I’ve even included a few of my favorite smoothie and snack recipes to help keep you healthy and energized while you’re