This source describes a “Movement Break” (Pauza de mișcare), a simple intervention to counteract prolonged sitting.
Key Recommendations:
• Frequency: Get up from your chair every 20-30 minutes of uninterrupted sitting.
• Core Exercise: Perform two calm breaths through the nose.
Breathing Exercise Details:
• Starting Position: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart for stability, eyes open.
• Hand Position: Place hands clasped behind your back, one hand in the palm of the other.
• Inhalation: Slowly inhale through the nose for 5-6 seconds. Begin by expanding the abdomen, then the chest. You should feel a slight extension in your spine. Keep your head straight and gaze forward.
• Exhalation: Exhale through the nose for the same duration (5-6 seconds). Ensure exhalation is not shorter than inhalation.
• Repetitions: Perform two or three such breaths.
• Optional Extension: After the first execution, you can try raising your hands above your head, with elbows straight and arms close to your ears, palms facing the ceiling, as if reaching for the ceiling.
Additional Exercise (if more time is available): You can also perform 10 “palm slides on thighs” with a forward trunk inclination. It is recommended to make time for this exercise or alternate it with the breathing exercise.