Can Sleeping Late make You Fat? Here are 7 Simple Sitting Exercises to Lose Weight

Simple sitting exercises that can help you lose excess weight ( Image by Andrea Piacquadio)

Getting sufficient sleep is crucial for leading a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. Lack of sleep can have a significant impact on your body as it makes you more tired during the day, hampers your productivity and affects your fitness levels. If you're attempting to lose some weight, getting enough sleep is almost as crucial as what you eat and how much you exercise. It seems very farfetched, but it's true.

Unfortunately, many people do not get adequate sleep. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 35% of people in the US sleep less than 7 hours on most nights. Short sleep is defined as less than seven hours of sleep every night.

Surprisingly, scientific data suggests that sleep may be the missing link for many people struggling to lose weight. Now that we have established that inadequate sleep can lead to health problems and weight gain, we can move on to the bigger question, can sleeping late make you fat?

Sleeping on time plays a huge role in affecting your metabolic rate and appetite. Going to bed sooner will help prevent the light munching that often occurs when you stay up late. Delaying your bedtime means you'll be awake longer, which gives you more time to eat, especially if it's been a long time since dinner.

For instance, if you eat dinner at 6:00 p.m. and stay up until 1:00 a.m. every night, you'll feel hungry between supper and bedtime.

If you're already exhausted from lack of sleep, you're more inclined to choose less healthy foods. This is because lack of sleep can boost your appetite and desire for high-calorie, high-fat foods. Therefore, it can be concluded that sleeping late leads to midnight cravings, which can increase your calorie intake and make you gain unnecessary weight. So, if you want to lose those extra pounds, make sure you’re all tucked in by bedtime.

Sleeping on time is important, but it's just one aspect of weight loss. You will have to pair it with exercise and a proper diet plan. If you are paranoid about starting with intense workouts, you could try out simple and easy exercises first.

Let’s say simple exercises you could do while sitting. But don’t be fooled by the ease with which you can perform these exercises. They can burn those extra calories and help you reach your fitness goals super fast. What’s more? It’s perfect for beginners and doesn’t require any fancy gym equipment.

If you don't have time to incorporate a workout into your hectic day, here's the good news: you can still get a terrific calorie burn if you have a chair and a 10-minute break scheduled. We've put up a list of the finest sitting exercises you can do.

While you do these simple sitting exercises, it's important to keep your posture correct to get the most out of them. Please avoid hunching and keep your back straight throughout.

#1. Glute clenches

Your glutes are the biggest muscle group in your body, and sitting on them all day can cause hip and lower back discomfort. Back pain can be avoided by activating your glutes at regular times throughout the day. Glute clenches are pretty self-explanatory; just try to imagine you are trying to crack a walnut with your glutes!

Here’s how to do it:

• contract your hamstrings and squeeze your glutes together as hard as you can, as if you were trying to push yourself up from your chair.
• Keep the glutes engaged for as long as possible.
• Hold for around 45 seconds, and then relax into the chair. Do ten reps.

#2. Calf raises

Strong calves can avoid ankle and knee injuries by absorbing the impact of the foot hitting the ground, which is especially significant for runners. They can also aid in running speed, and who doesn't desire strong, muscular-looking calves? These calf raises can be done while sitting, and they are a great way to train your calf muscles.

Here’s how to do it:

• Shuffle to the edge of your desk chair and place your feet flat on the ground to complete calf lifts.
• Engage your calves and lift your heels off the ground while keeping your toes planted into the ground.
• Hold the squeeze, then slowly descend your heels to the ground.

#3. Seated press-ups

Seated press-ups are a beginner-friendly version of push-ups. If you are not strong enough to do regular push-ups, you should start building up strength in your shoulder and arms with these seated press-up exercises. This simple exercise can help you work your tricep muscles and relieve spinal compression.

Here’s how to do it:

• Place your hands on the chair's armrests and press down, lifting your body off the seat.
• Allow your hips and glutes to lift off the chair by straightening your arms. Maintain a straight line between your head and your pelvis.
• Let your spine dangle and unwind straight down, allowing room between the vertebrae.
• To strengthen the backs of the arms, hold this stance or push up and down.

#4. Arm circles

This exercise may look like a cakewalk, but it gives a serious burn to your shoulder and arm muscles. It is a great exercise for beginners and can significantly improve your posture.

Here's how to do it:

• Start with your back straight and your core engaged, then raise your arms out to the side with your palms towards the floor.
• Rotate your arms slowly, as if you were making a circle with your fingers.
• Do 20 forward circles, then rotate your hands so that your palms face the ceiling and do 20 backward circles.
• Repeat three times more.

#5. Leg extension

It might not look like much, but regularly sticking to this exercise can show significant improvement in your quadriceps, thighs and hip muscles of your legs.

Here’s how to do it:

• Place your arms by your sides and sit on the edge of your chair.
• Straighten your right leg and flex your foot such that just your right heel is touching the floor (keeping your foot flexed engages the muscles in the shins and ankle).
• Raise your leg as high as possible without arching your back.
• Hold for three counts before lowering. Repeat with the opposite leg.

#6. Overhead tricep extensions

The overhead tricep extension is similar to a tricep pulldown performed with your elbows by your side. You will need weight for this exercise. It's commonly done using a kettle bell or a dumbell. If neither of these is available, you can carry something like a heavy book or a filled water bottle, but make sure it is not too heavy.

Here’s how to do it:

• Raise your arms over your head while holding the weight in your hands and keeping your back straight.
• Keep your arms close to your ears as you lower the weight behind your head while engaging your core.
• Extend your arms back up to the beginning position, keeping your upper arms near to your ears - that's one rep.
• Do three sets of 15 reps should enough.

#7. Seated crunches

Seated crunches, like situps, help you gain strength. They're a popular exercise for folks seeking to acquire six-pack abs because of intense muscle isolation. They're also great for strengthening your core, which includes your obliques and lower back muscles.

Here’s how to do it:

• Take a seat on the seat's edge.
• Extend your legs completely.
• Bring your knees to your chest while contracting your abs.
• Return to the beginning position.

Takeaway

These simple yet effective sitting exercises are definitely a life-saver if you are required to sit in your office chair all day. While they may not have the same results as more intense exercises like going to the gym or going for a run, keep in mind that any amount of activity counts.

You should always do what feels good, and move at your own pace. Do not feel pressured to perform heavy exercises if you don't feel ready, instead start slow with these 7 simple sitting exercises and burn those extra calories!