As I was sitting in my tree stand this past weekend waiting very patiently, and sitting very still, with hopes that Bambi’s dad would stroll by my tree I noticed something. No, it wasn’t a deer, or a squirrel. It was how uncomfortable I felt sitting still, in the same position, for a long time. All my previous sports injuries, bad posture, and aches and pains, seemed to all agree on the same thing. Me sitting in the same position for hours at a time, is a bad thing. I don’t know how people can manage at a desk job, and sit there for 8 hours (or more!) of your day without much movement. I would not be able to handle it. But guess what happened when I got out of the stand and starting walking back to my car… My aches and pains started to disappear! That’s the point of this post, I have noticed throughout my life that I am more comfortable and in less pain when I have been moving all day long vs being super uncomfortable and sore when I sit for long periods of time. Now, I may be more tired from moving and being active all day long, but my body feels way better, and I sleep better too!
So I decided I would give you some info on how so much sitting is causing you more pain, and most likely causing a rise in your health issues. As well as some ways to counteract all this inactivity!
According to the Mayo Clinic (they seem pretty smart, don’t they?) there has been a correlation between sitting for long periods of time and a number of health issues. Some of these health issues are:
-Increased Obesity, gaining unwanted weight is never a good thing for your health. Plus, it doesn’t help you fit into the beach outfit either…
-Increased blood pressure. I’m guessing many of you know the risks involved here, because I know a lot of people who have this issue… If you don’t know, call me and we can discuss them.
-High blood sugar, which leads to extra fat stored around the waist (abdominal fat is said to have to most negative health effects to a person), and abnormal cholesterol levels.
-An increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease… seriously, sitting can kill you….
All of these things increase your risk of dying at an earlier age, if you do not make an effort to take care of them. BUT, I HAVE GOOD NEWS!!!!! You can fix all of these things, and it isn’t even by going to the gym for 8 hours every day! (Although, I wouldn’t mind hanging out with you if you did…) There are simple ways you can counteract the negative effects of sitting for long periods of time. Here are a few ideas:
-Get a standing desk. While you’re at work you probably can’t stand all day, I’m sure there are meetings and other things that you have to sit through. But, if you have a standing desk you can still get things accomplished, like emails, phone calls, etc. You’ll just be standing while you do it instead of sitting.
-Do a walking lunch! Prepare food that you can eat while you walk. This way you’ll be getting a little exercise while nourishing your body with good, healthy foods…not potatoe chips and a fast food burger…
-Find a lunch workout group! If you can sneak away for a lunch workout not only will you get your activity levels up, you’ll also be more productive when you do go back to work! I happen to know a guy who runs a noon workout group… if you’re interested here is the info!
-If you do have a meeting, try a walking/talking meeting. Walk laps around the building while you discuss the big idea you just came up with. You can call them Walkie-Talkies! haha
-Maybe a walking desk, these have treadmills underneath so you can walk while you are at your desk getting things accomplished.
-Maybe it’s just setting an alarm to get up and move around every 30 min to an hour and take a stroll around the office.
It doesn’t have to be crazy intense to get the benefits, a little movement can go a long way. But, the same goes for inactivity. The more inactive you are, the more those negative health effects will creep up on you and cause you more problems.
The benefits of movement are amazing. They can be anywhere from losing weight and building an amazing physique, to just adding 10 years onto your life. Don’t waste and shorten your life by sitting on the couch. Be active and be healthy. Now get off your butt and MOVE!
As always, if you’ve got questions let me know! I’m here to help in any way I can!
Go enjoy this beautiful sunshine!
Z
