Sitting can kill you.
It’s no joke, sitting for prolonged periods of time is extremely bad for your health. Even if you exercise regularly, if you sit for several hours a day, you are at a greater risk for several leading causes of death, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Why?
Because we’re hunters-gatherers! We were meant to live on our feet.
Now, with television, computers and the typical desk job, most Americans are sitting more than 9 hours per day.
Right now, one in three Americans are obese. In the last few decades exercise rates have basically stayed the same, but the number of hours we sit on average has risen almost 10 percent. The result: obesity has doubled since the 1980s.
So what can you do?
Here’s what I’ve tried over the past year and it has made a big difference in how I feel.
First, take every opportunity to stand up and walk around the office. Walking burns 3-5 times the calories than sitting does. So, walk down to a colleague’s office instead of sending that email. You will get your answer faster and you get some exercise.
Second, instead of that 2 p.m. coffee, go for a power walk outside. When you’re working on multiple deadlines, it’s tough to break away from your desk. But sometimes you need a mental break to finish the day strong. I’m much more productive after I’ve come back from a quick 20-minute power walk, than if I simply grab another coffee and keep working.
Finally, get an iPad. The iPad allows me to work standing up. I can check email, read documents and do online research all on my iPad while walking around my office. Just make sure to watch where you’re going.
If you do some or most of these things, in addition to regular exercise, I guarantee you will feel better. Just remember, while sitting can add up, whether it’s at your desk, in your car on the couch, so does what you do to combat it. So, think twice the next time you think about taking the elevator to the 2nd floor.