Studies show that sitting for long periods of time is linked to poor health such as obesity, weight gain around the waist and increased risks of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, cholesterol, and cancer. Let’s reduce these preventable risks by moving a little more. Here are some ideas:
- Stand up alarms. Set an alarm to stand up and move at least every 90 minutes if not more often.
- Track it. Wear a device to track your steps. My clients who start wearing these end up walking more (and maybe even a little bit competitive).
- Stairs. Skip the elevator/escalator and use the stairs.
- Standing desks. Use a standing desk although keep in mind that just standing up for long periods instead of sitting results in other issues (varicose veins, back problems, etc.) so make sure you move and not just stand all day.
- Walk it over. Schedule walking meetings or walk over to your co-worker instead of sending an email.
- Stand & talk. Stand up and pace around when you’re on the phone.
- DIY. Do it yourself. Mow the lawn, pick up food/grocery (instead of delivery), fixing things. Don’t outsource everything.
- Join your kids. If they are playing a sport, join them or if you’re cheering, get up and walk the side lines. You’ve had enough sitting all day.
- Shoes. Oh and don’t forget the comfy shoes. Bad shoes will surely promote us to sit more.
Just replacing 1 hour a day of sitting with standing, you burn 330 calories a week which is more than an hour of moderate-paced walking.
Try not to sit for more than 90 minutes at a time. Stand up and move. Love the body that allows you to be mobile. The more you move, the better you feel. The better you feel, the more active you become and the better you’ll eat. Then, the better you’ll sleep and the better you’ll focus and interact which leads to more confidence and weight loss…and it keeps going. Making it a healthy snowball effect because it can easily become an unhealthy one too.
If there are changes you’d like to make in your stress level, eating habits, exercise, and overall health and happiness, start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people’s opinion of Happy Food.
~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA
