Today at a Glance
- Modern life has chained us to chairs
- The 5-minute Desk Activation
- The Midday Med Formula
- 3 Fascia Stretches to Slow Down & Expand
Ketty here.
Did you know?
Over 80% of people in the Western world now work desk jobs. Eight. Out of ten.
And if we’re not sitting at a desk, we’re sitting in cars, buses, airplanes.
We sit in restaurants, on couches, and at dinner tables.
Modern life has chained us to chairs.
Markus and I? We sit too.
Writing programs for clients, producing videos, Zoom coaching calls, emails.
Hours in front of a screen.
And here’s the cost:
- Hip flexors shorten.
- Glutes weaken.
- Fascia stiffens.
- The spine compresses.
What does that mean?
Back pain. Tight shoulders. Sluggish metabolism. Fat storage around the belly. Brain fog. Nervous system stress that simmers under the surface.
We see it all the time.
Take Peter, 46, Senior Manager in New York. Two burnouts already. 16 kilos overweight. Blood sugar creeping up. His wife wants active weekends with their two kids. But he’s exhausted. Tired in the mornings, has a hard time keeping his eyes open after lunch, and barely makes it through bedtime stories.
And sitting all day? It’s one of the main culprits.
Here’s the question:
If sitting is slowly draining your health, how long are you willing to wait before you do something about it?
By the way: how many hours a day do you sit?
Today’s issue is all about making the best of it when you have to sit a lot for work.
All right, let’s go!
"Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death."
The 5-minute Desk Activation
Most people overcomplicate exercise.
They believe they need a gym, an hour, the perfect plan.
And if you already know us a bit, you know… it’s not true.
What you need is movement → done consistently.
Here’s a trick we give to busy clients like Peter:
The 5-minute Desk Activation.
Think of it as a reset button for your body. You stand up. Jump. Shake. Move your joints through space. Get your blood pumping. Wake your muscles (perfect in the morning, or for desk breaks).
In five minutes, your posture lifts, your spine decompresses, your mind clears. 👉🏻 Here’s the sequence on YouTube.
Now pair this with what we call Active Alarms.
Set 4–6 alarms on your phone throughout the day. Each time it buzzes, stop what you’re doing. Stand. Do the 5-minute Desk Activation.
👉🏻 Or try the sequence we share here. Then go back to work.
That’s it. No gym needed. No extra clothes. No excuses.
Do this for one week, and you’ll feel the difference.
Sooo…
What excuse has been keeping you stuck in your chair – and are you willing to drop it for 5 minutes at a time?
Anyways, next is for your energy…
Eat Well
The Midday Med Formula
Here’s the other hidden cost of sitting: your metabolism slows.
Add heavy lunches, and you’re in a 3 p.m. slump that drags through the evening.
That’s where the Midday Med Formula comes in.
Instead of pizza, pasta, or sandwiches stacked with refined carbs, order—or prepare—this:
- A palm-sized portion of lean protein (fish, chicken, beans, lentils).
- Two fists of colorful vegetables.
- A thumb of healthy fat (olive oil, avocado, nuts).
- And a fist-sized serving of whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, whole-grain bread).
This plate keeps blood sugar steady. Energy smooth. Brain sharp. You won’t crash at 3 p.m. You’ll still have fuel left to play with your kids, take that evening walk, or show up fully for your partner.
I’ll ask you this:
Next time you eat lunch, will you choose short-term comfort… or long-term energy?
Reply and tell me what’s on your plate tomorrow.
And if you feel stiff & stressed try this…
3 Fascia Stretches to Slow Down & Expand
Stress isn’t just in your head. It sits in your body.
In your shoulders. Your hips. Your breath.
Let’s changed that right now.
Here’s a quick somatic reset I use with clients like Peter → especially after long hours of sitting.
Three fascia stretches, paired with expansive, mindful breathing.
Here you go:
1. Back Line Release
(Seated Forward Fold with Y-Arms)
Sit down. Hinge at the hips. Reach arms forward in a wide Y-shape. Feel the stretch through hamstrings, spine, shoulder blades. Breathe deep into your back ribs.
2. Front Line Opener
(Easy Camel Pose with Arm Sweep)
Kneel with hips stacked over knees. Place one hand behind for support. Lift the opposite arm up and back. Open chest, stretch quads, release tension across the front body. Switch sides.
3. Lateral Line Reset
(90/90 Kneeling Side Reach)
Kneel with one hip stacked over the knee. The other leg forward at 90 degrees. Reach the arm of the “kneeling side” overhead & toward the opposite side. Feel the TFL-hip-shoulder connection release. Breathe into the side body.
Do each for 1–2 minutes with slow, expansive breathing.
Notice what shifts.
Lower cortisol. Nervous system relaxes. You’re more present, more aware, more alive.
When was the last time you truly breathed into your body – not just with your lungs, but with your whole being?
Reply and let me know.
Now, let’s integrate into your daily life…
This Week’s Tiny Experiments
A.C.T.I.V.E.™ = Awareness. Curiosity. Tiny Test. Integration. Variation. Evolution.
That’s our A.C.T.I.V.E.™ Loop. Because transformation doesn’t come from theory. It comes from experiments. Tiny ones.
Here’s your loop for this week:
A – Awareness
Notice how long you sit before your body whispers discomfort. Is it 30 minutes? 60? Longer?
C – Curiosity
Ask yourself: “What’s my body asking for right now—movement, food, or breath?”
T – Tiny Test (pick one):
- Do the 5-minute Desk Activation once today.
- Swap your usual heavy lunch for the Protein & Greens Formula.
- Try the 3 fascia stretches + breathing before bed.
I – Integration
After 3 days, reflect: What shifted? Did my energy rise? Did my stress lower? Did my focus sharpen?
V – Variation
Change the setting: move outdoors, eat in silence, stretch with music. Notice how context shifts experience.
E – Evolution
Pick the one experiment that felt easiest—and repeat it daily for 7 days. That’s how habits form. That’s how sitting stops stealing from you.
Wrap-Up
Let’s face it: sitting isn’t going away. Work isn’t getting less demanding.
But you don’t have to let it rob your energy, your health, your presence.
Movement. Food. Breath. Tiny practices done daily. They are the antidote.
And if you’re ready to take it further, to reverse years of sitting and unlock strength, mobility, and energy, you might want to check out our Physical Freedom Unlocked course. The landing page might not be perfect, but we’re confident that it helps your body back into balance.
Now I want to hear from you.
How many hours a day do you sit → and what’s the first change you’ll make this week?
Send an email. I read every answer.
That’s it for today.
Hope you enjoyed it (and learned something new).
As always, stay fit, stay active, and enjoy your life.
Ketty & Markus
P.S. And if you apply it consistently, maybe you’ll soon send us a message like this:
