The Perils of Sitting, Part IV (The Good News)

If you read Parts I, II, and III, this topic got into some heavy material which is important to be aware of but there is also some good news out there which was touched upon in each post.  That good news can really be summarized in one word: MOVE.  Something I find myself sharing with my clients is a very simple analogy I wish I could take credit for but Sir Isaac Newton beat me to it with his first law of motion: A body at rest stays at rest and a body in motion stays in motion.  Granted he was talking about physical objects but it is amazing how much this relates to the dynamic organisms human beings are and their overall health, well being and mobility.  And based on the current body of research, if you move more, you tend to live longer.  That is pretty darn good news!

Avoiding sitting for prolonged periods of time and/or adding movement into your daily routine can be accomplished in any number of ways.  You are truly only limited by your imagination.  It could be simple things like taking 1-2 minute walking breaks each hour at work, taking the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator, parking farther from your destination, etc.  Each of these ideas often seems trivial in isolation but it is amazing what happens cumulatively over weeks, months and years, and they can become normal routines you don't even have to actively think to do.  (Your car will probably have less dings in it too from car doors and grocery carts...you're welcome.)

The more challenging change is actually engaging in more sustained activities instead of sitting because that involves time and we all know time is precious.  However, if you take an honest look at your schedule you can probably find at least 30 minutes during the day to engage in some type of activity.  You may have to tweak your schedule and routines a bit at first but again, sticking with good habits becomes a new routine.  Instead of passively watching television, actively watch your favorite shows by incorporating some simple bodyweight exercises (pushups, squats, lunges, etc.), stretching or matwork style routines (Pilates), or if you really want to get your heart rate up, shadowboxing (one of my favorites).  Or better yet, trade an hour of television altogether for an activity you like to do.

The easiest thing you can do and a great starting point is highlighted in this short video which addresses a few different things but relates very well to this topic.

The moral of this story is not to cause a panic or to suggest strict rules to live by because that would be unnecessarily extreme.  Instead it is meant to be food for thought so that you can take advantage of this information and incorporate it into your life as you see fit.  You know your schedule, you know your life and how you want to live it.  Hopefully this information can help you optimize the ways in which you live your life so that you can be a happy, healthy and mobile person for a long time coming.

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