Chances are you've probably heard the latest health news that sitting is as dangerous as smoking. Not only is sitting all day bad for your health upping your chances for a stroke, heart disease and a lower metabolism but even if you do an hour of good, hard exercise, it still doesn't negate all of the damage sitting does. One study shows that sitting for 11 or more hours per day increased risk of death by 40 percent, regardless of other activity levels. As a person who works from home and spends a goodly amount of time on her tookus (I said tookus) while doing her hour of exercise, this is quite alarming. It should also alarm people who sit at a desk job like I did for years.
I have done "challenges" in the past where I challenge myself to do some kind of movement at the top of the hour. Problem is, I suck at challenges. Seriously, it's like I have some rebelling gene that kicks in even though I know the challenge is to my benefit. I don't do well to remind myself at the top of the hour on my own, so I have resorted to this:
Starting at 8:00 AM every weekday, my little mail reminder goes off to tell me to get off my rump and do 10 squats. It gets my heart pumping and I'm going to do this for a month and make it habit and then move it to every half an hour. So right now by the time the Mr gets home, I have 100 squats in for the day. When I move up to every half an hour, it'll be 200 squats or maybe I'll do 100 squats and then maybe 100 of something else like push ups or kick backs or squats with speed bags. For some reason, hearing that little ding grabs my attention more than when I set the timer on the microwave and would be forced to get up to go reset it for an hour later. (But that is something work at homers could do if it's too tempting to hit snooze without doing the activity if anyone wanted to join me.)
Do you make time every half hour to hour to get up and move if you have sedentary job? Would a reminder popping up entice you to do it or would you hit dismiss?
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My job is kind of up an down. It's not terribly active, but there is a lot of slow walking and looking over kids' shoulders. I only have 3 minutes between classes and I usually use that to pee (TMI, I know & sorry). Maybe I'll try to do a quick set of squats or something every time I'm in the bathroom.
ReplyDeleteI am going to pass this tidbit along to hubby who has maybe the most sedentary job ever now.
Hey, some calf raises under the desk, fidgeting and such all count toward activity but yeah bathroom squats are ideal if ya can!
DeleteI SO need to do something like this. I used to be wandering around the hospital all day, but since they hired someone to do that part of my job, I'm tied to the desk for 8 hrs... unless you count the back and forth to the fax... not so much, huh?!? Up and at 'em I guess!
ReplyDeleteSquats, calf raises, flex and points, all of that good stuff is worth it!
DeleteThis is a great idea. I see this news regularly and it's alarming to me, but then I don't change anything. Reminder alarm it is! Thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteI know, I don't either but I am committed to doing this because I don't want to do all of this other stuff that's great for my health only to up my risk of death by 40% for sitting on me bum! HA!
DeleteThis is a very good idea. I think I might look odd doing squats or push ups or something at work but I might use this as just a reminder to get up and go walk up some flights of stairs or something. I used to do that every day and it was a great way to reinvigorate my body after settling into a semi-coma on a slow work day. Thanks for the tip baby!
ReplyDeleteYes, you've got good steps at work and you NEED to make time at work for that because you chain yourself to it for far too long! Slow work day or not. I want you around for a long time, boo!
DeleteI use the timer on my iphone, but I'm so fidgety that sitting too long at a time is not usually a problem for me. :) Sometimes, though, I get a little too engrossed in writing or researching that I lose track of time. My hips always remind me when I finally get up, and I know to set the timer before I sit down again.
ReplyDeleteGood idea! You've got an electronic and a body alarm!
DeleteUgh ..this is so scary . I work at home and I know this fact, but I struggle to fight it. I've been thinking 5 minutes every hour would be good and I can usually at least do it a few hours a day but I forget, get busy, think screw it, and then I haven't made a difference at all. I think I will work on this as being a goal for the rest of January . Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI know, I thought the same thing but I really want to commit to making this a habit. I don't want to negate all of the exercise I'm doing but sitting on my behind! Check back at the end of the month and let me know how you did!
DeleteSuch a scary stat. I am thankful that my job has me up and down a lot. I actually look to help out in the kitchen at work so that I'm standing and moving, even if it means my feet are KILLING me by the end of the day in my heels. I keep a pair of super ugly, super comfy shoes in my office as of late...realy makes things easier to be active at work while in business attire. I think tha stat is something anyone can learn from. A huge reason I don't read as many blogs any more is that I refuse to be parked at the computer all evening and try to get out, even if it's to run errands.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Good for you, it sounds like you're getting in a goodly amount of activity (along with that hockey you play! Goooooal!)
DeleteWhat a great idea. Thanks for the idea.
ReplyDeleteNo prob!
DeleteI can't leave my desk very often since I'm on the phone all day, but I make sure to walk around during my breaks. I also stand at my desk every so often since I get tired of sitting.
ReplyDeleteSquats are a great idea. I wish I could do that, but my co-workers would give me funny looks. :) I could probably get away with knee-lifts and some other stretches.
If they give you funny looks, say "what are you looking at, you think your butt isn't suffering from the 8 hour a day spread??" Who knows, you could start a thing at work and everyone could benefit!
DeleteI love this idea. Going to implement it at work when I return tomorrow! Thanks for the thought. :)
ReplyDeleteYay! I hope to start a trend! We'll all be squatting at the top of the hour. Hmm, that sounded like all have bathroom issues!
DeleteI've been reading about this issue too. My husband converted his workspace to allow him to stand while working. We are going to convert mine too, but haven't done it yet. I work from home too so there is no reason I can't do more. I like your idea of setting a timer, I think that is what I need to do to remind myself. I am thinking I should go up and down the steps a few times every hour.
ReplyDeleteI am currently taking some classes at night and that is adding to the hours of sitting. By the end of last semester it was becoming a real problem for me physically and mentally/emotionally. If I can't make it work better this semester, then the classes may have to stop.
These findings about sitting do not surprise me. Our bodies did not evolve to live the way most of us do in modern, industrialized culture.
I've actually been doing this at work the past couple of weeks with setting a reminder to get up every hour and walk around the office and fill up my water tumbler. So I'm getting the benefit of stretching my legs AND getting more water in, because that puppy has to be empty when the reminder goes off!
ReplyDeleteI threw out my back over the weekend, but still came home and did my workout upstairs. I had to modify my arm movements because of the spasms, but I did everything else pretty close to my norm. I was SO proud of myself for following through with my commitment despite the pain. Yippee!
ok I can do this.
ReplyDeleteThats neat...i take mini breaks and print one doc at a time so I can walk each time and get it...love ur squats reminder..wish i cud do squats at work...
ReplyDeleteI have an outlook reminder just like yours for my water...but you are right - I should change it to be water and moving my rear!
ReplyDelete