Maybe you've heard the saying, "Sitting is the new smoking."
While there's nothing wrong with sitting and putting your feet up after a long day at work, what IS a challenge is to moderate all the sitting that happens while at work.
Where we work and spend our day represents the whole spectrum: teachers are up and down throughout the day. Office folks tend to sit down to get their work done. Postal workers, retail workers, food service workers, and others might never get a chance to sit down during their work day.
Wherever you fall in the grouping, it's important to be aware of the downsides of sitting too much.
*Our risk of obesity increases, with weight gain around the middle more prevalent.
*Cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure tend to be higher.
*There's an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Experts say sitting too much can be as unhealthy as smoking...
Here are some ideas to manage all the sitting we do:
*Set a timer for 45 minutes and get up and stretch, get a drink, move around when the timer goes off. Set it again after a few minutes break and repeat throughout the day.
*Use a standing desk, or make your own. (I set up my laptop on top of the mini fridge on my desk.)
*Have standup meetings (or walking meetings) instead of sitting.
*Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Easy to do here at some work sites or at home. Tougher to do at medical centers, taller office buildings, etc., but worth it.
*Walk a brisk lap around the building before or after lunch. (Map out an inside route for bad weather days). Wave hi to your co-workers as you pass their classrooms.
*Move while watching TV. Stretch, bounce on a mini trampoline, ride a stationary bike, or plank, squat, or do sit ups during commercials.
*Park further away from your destination to compel you to walk more. That could be as simple as parking at the back of the Safeway parking lot or a bit more challenging like parking at JC Penney's and walking through the mall to your Nordstrom destination. (I must note it always fascinates me to see the people at my gym fight over a front row parking spot.)
*Invest in a fitness tracking device (FitBit, TomTom, Garmin, etc.) to track your movements. (I get reminders on my FitBit when I haven't reached 250 steps in an hour.)
*Enlist the support of a coworker. Whether they're at the cubicle next to you or in the kitchen or the office, having someone hold you accountable can get you moving.
Regardless of your methods, it's important to MOVE!! Our bodies are designed for movement, so find excuses to get up and go!
Enjoy moving more everyone!
xoxo,