Get Up and Move – Things You Can Do to Avoid Prolonged Sitting
Did you know that sitting for six hours or more a day makes you 40% more likely to die within the next 15 years than someone who spends less time sitting. Below is an infograph from Medical Billing and Coding which shows why sitting leads to obesity and other health risks:
This ‘sitting disease’, a term coined by Dr. James Levine is primarily a result of sedentary living. In a video, Dr. Levine discusses the many diseases that an individual may develop from prolonged sitting. He also shares simple everyday things that you can do to keep yourself moving from time to time. This will help avoid having to sit for a long period while you are at your office desk or watching a TV marathon at home.
How to Counteract the Health Consequences of Sitting
To keep yourself from sitting too long at your office desk, we suggest ergonomic “microbreaking”. Microbreaks are small, biologically meaningful breaks that are regularly taken from time to time to avoid having to be stuck in one position for a prolonged period. You don’t have to do anything extraordinary, just be mindful of how long you have been sitting and try to stand at least once an hour and perform some moderate activity for a total of thirty minutes broken down and distributed within the day.
Dr. Brian Parr, associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Health Sciences at the University of South Carolina Aiken, says that moderate activity is not exercise. It could be going over to your boss or colleague’s desk to discuss a report instead of replying to their email or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. At home, it could be injecting small chores while watching TV.
Deskercise is another great way to incorporate simple exercises that will boost your energy while at the same time keeping you from getting glued to your seat. From the word itself, a deskercise is a mini exercise routine that can be performed by individuals you are desk-bound. Here are some very useful and charming cartoon videos of office deskercises that you can access from your computer every hour at work and simulate.
