How Red Bull's Shaikha Al Qassemi added a little exercise to get in top shape

Nick Watkins - Writer 11:37 02/05/2018
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  • CrossFit for life: How small changes can make a big difference

    As part of her passionate endeavour to embrace a fitter, healthier and balanced lifestyle, Red Bull athlete Shaikha Al Qassemi shares her advice to take you a step closer to living better.

    In CrossFit, we always emphasise getting your body moving – carrying, lifting, throwing, pulling, pushing, stepping and squatting. These are movements that we used to utilise daily, but have decreased in our everyday lives as we now spend more and more time sitting down. We eat sat down, we commute to work and sit at our desks for hours then drive home sat in our cars.

    I recently read about how sitting for too long can lead to heart problems. Studies have shown that instead of sitting on chairs,  being sat on the floor improves posture and mobility in the hips, knees and ankles. Research also shows people who spend more than eight hours a day sat down are at a higher risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease or a stroke.

    Red Bull athlete: Shaikha Al Qassemi

    Red Bull athlete: Shaikha Al Qassemi

    It’s important to ensure you walk, stretch and move if you’re spending most of your day sat working at your desk. Get in the habit of setting an alarm and walking for two minutes every half an hour to keep your blood circulating and if you have space to stretch then I recommend you do that as well.

    Training in the gym for an hour will not reduce the health risks if you go back to sitting on the sofa when you’re done. Walking will help keep your blood circulating, and keep your digestive system healthy as well as your heart. During the week, walk to get your lunch instead of ordering it and if you take food to work with you move to a different area, or eat standing up to get your blood flowing.

    At weekends, add exercise to your day instead of spending time watching Netflix. Gather a group of friends, buy a ball or Frisbee and meet at the beach for some activities and get some Vitamin D in the process. With summer just around the corner, take the opportunity to walk in the early morning or in the evening. Take stairs instead of escalators and park a little bit further from work than usual.

    It may be overwhelming to fit all this in to begin with but a little does go a long way. Take more steps than usual and track it to see your improvements throughout the week. You’ll feel the benefits in no time.

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