Do you sit in an office chair, on your couch, or in your car for over eight hours per day? Then you’re endangering your health. There’s a reason why sitting for long hours each day is now commonly referred to as “the new smoking”.
A sedentary lifestyle greatly increases your chance of being overweight, developing heart disease or type 2 diabetes, and experiencing anxiety and depression. In addition, sitting puts extra pressure on the lower back and, along with stress and poor posture, can lead to back, neck, and shoulder pain. It also negatively affects your blood circulation and digestive process.
The good news is that it is easy to counteract these health risks.
Take these steps to counteract the effects of a sedentary lifestyle:
Exercise
Aim to incorporate at least 30 minutes of moderate (the equivalent of a brisk walk) exercise into your daily schedule to boost your physical and emotional health and reduce the risk of chronic disease.
You may not have 30 minutes to spare during your day but can break it up into three segments of 10 minutes each. Anything that gets you moving counts.
Build more activity into each day
Stand up to stretch or move at least once per hour, set an alarm as a reminder
Leave the car and walk when you can
Start and maintain your own garden, even if on your terrace or balcony
Exercise while watching TV
Use the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator
Dance whenever the opportunity presents itself
Take walks during your lunch break
Make phone calls while standing or walking
Walk over to a colleague instead of calling or emailing them
Organize walking meetings
Park your car further away from the office
Stand and iron while you watch TV
Sit correctly
Pay attention to your posture throughout the day. Sometimes we start off correctly but start slumping as we work without noticing. Keep your upper back straight with the natural curve of your lower back supported by the back of the chair or a small cushion. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your lower arms parallel to the floor. Keep your knees equal to, or slightly lower than, your hips with your feet flat on the floor.
To sum it all up, living a sedentary lifestyle can be dangerous to your health. Move as often and as much as you can; stand, stretch and walk to benefit your health, focus, and mood and counteract the effects of sitting for long hours each day.
