I am letting a good friend of mine take over Life of an Architect today. Her name is Alexandra Williams and she, along with twin sister Kymberly, are normally found at the helm of their own website Fun and Fit: Q and A with K and A. I asked Alexandra to write a post specific to architects who spend too much time sitting in front of their computer monitor getting doughy and lethargic. She and her sister are ridiculously over-qualified to write on my site, but I find them entertaining and grudgingly realize that I tend to learn things when I read what they have to teach.
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So I was stalking thinking of Bob the other day as I wandered through his office (okay, in a virtual way. I’d never be in Texas voluntarily), and it occurred to me that architects need to move around a bit more. They just sit hunched all day, talking on the phone (1-900-HOT-CHIX) staring at the computer (Facebook’s “Farm Town”), and making mini-forts on their desks with T-Squares and orange triangles!
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What happens to poor old Bob and his friends (yeah, right) colleagues? They get weak abs, rounded shoulders and upper backs, and are at increased risk for metabolic syndrome from all that sitting. That’s bad enough, but look what happened to Bob after too much desk sitting:
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He seized up! But I am here to rescue him (and his colleagues) from Architect Atrophy! Some hot fitness tips are as follows:
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1. I happen to know that Bob’s desk is 20′ long and that he has a crapload many heavy and gorgeous magazines on it. Heavy and gorgeous is a great way to describe magazines, but not crazed Norweegie guys with premature white hair architects, so shove all those glossies onto the floor (which counts as exercise), lie down on your back on the desk, and let your right arm and leg dangle over the edge. Then switch and do the left side. This will open you up to ridicule at the hip flexors and chest/shoulders. For a bonus, pick the magazines back up and rip them in half before replacing them on the desk. For as many minutes as it takes for your boss to sic her dog on you for being weird at work.
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2. Get out of your comfy napping specifications reading chair and shake your groove thang! All those CMU blocks just sitting in the corner? Those aren’t samples; those are amazing bits of exercise equipment! At 7 5/8″ tall, they are the perfect height for climbing up and down, up and down. You’ll be able to climb around on concrete form work with confidence!
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Or, you could do this with a lucky volunteer sales rep or annoying client (your choice):
The point is, move around a bit more.
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3. So, stretch the front, move more and ta ta da ta! Strengthen your upper and mid-back. I could be the fitness pro that my resume says I am and suggest this exercise, but that is not as exciting as recommending you grab a few product manuals in your hands and do a row (which essentially means do a rowing motion and try to bring your shoulder blades together in back. Actually, get a few office mates in and let them do the work while you just shout “come on slackers” encouraging, helpful advice!
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4. I’m going to mention stretching again. I happen to have it on good authority that Bob engages in rubber band “stretching and flinging” in the back room (Bob squealed on himself). So, rather than taking out colleagues’ eyes (or his own), Bob would be much better off using a very large rubber band to open up his chest for viewing to reverse the effects of slouching at his desk.
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5. And a final stretch for hip flexors and quads, which is beautifully illustrated below by the cutest model you ever saw, and “some guy.”
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Photo credits: Creative Commons, Photobucket and Bob Borson
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I’m an architect myself and whenever my neck locks up from a long day of staring at the monitor, I turn to a simple remedy. I take 1 part gin, 1 part Campari, and 3/4 part sweet Vermouth, shake until well chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a burnt orange. Repeat as necessary until symptoms subside.
I can vouch for Andrew – he does do this. Of course, the after a “long day” requirement is completely optional. As I understand things, Andrew particularly likes this remedy with thick slice bacon and scrambled eggs.
I can vouch for Andrew – he does do this. Of course, the after a “long day” requirement is completely optional. As I understand things, Andrew particularly likes this remedy with thick slice bacon and scrambled eggs.
I’m an architect myself and whenever my neck locks up from a long day of staring at the monitor, I turn to a simple remedy. I take 1 part gin, 1 part Campari, and 3/4 part sweet Vermouth, shake until well chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a burnt orange. Repeat as necessary until symptoms subside.
Please, someone take Alexandra to Texas. Leave her with meat and donuts only. Since she eats neither, odds are good I will finally rise to the top of the funny twin heap. A person has to take desperate measures. And I use that word “measures” as my way to relate to the architectural thang. Good, eh?
Priceless.
I just tried that whole laying off the desk thing… had to use a kitchen height countertop though. Hey, this might increase my showroom traffic! Thanks, Alexandra!
If you are going to lie down in your motorcycle leathers and flash some youngster chest in your showroom, please let me know so I can buy a ticket to Alabama. It will be the most exciting thing to ever occur in that state. I’ll bring my own whipped cream to share with the customers! (low-fat obviously)
What? I wrote that, not Kymberly. The post thing tricked me. That was Alexandra, not that wanna-be Kymberly. Whatever!
Love it. Great stuff and fantastic humor Alexandra!
(By the way, even though I am architect – I’m in perfect shape
You should see my lower abs and front biceps :)… wow! LOL)
Bob, thank you for letting smart lovely ladies in!
(Now you must take her to Texas, she won’t go voluntarily…)
So I come her to read the ramblings of my favorite living, residential architect. Instead I find the ramblings of my favorite exercise guru. (Is Jack LaLanne still alive? If he’s still alive then maybe that changes things. But even if he is alive he must be like a million years old. And Alexandra is quite fetching (fetching? I know, but it’s a family blog.) OK, we’ll stick with Alexandra as my favorite.) Where was I? Oh yeah, as much as I like Alexandra (we just covered that) now I feel bad about myself for not hiking often enough to the top of the mountain we live on. Apparently, I have architect’s syndrome. And I’m not even an architect. Now I’m depressed. Where’s the Ben & Jerry’s? I’ll eat it while laying on my desk. Curled up in the fetal position.