As we recover from the days of lockdowns etc., a new way of working has emerged…remote work. It’s productive, convenient, and liked by many, but what is sitting at home all day everyday doing to our health?
Many people now work in a very sedentary environment, rather it is in an office or at home. We sit hour after hour , day after day. This increases health problems dramatically.
Did you ever notice that people who are sick and in the hospital for long periods take months to recover to their original activity level. A lot of that has to do with just laying there and not moving enough throughout the day.
Sitting is not much better. It has been shown that lack of activity, like sitting, can shorten life span, increase dementia risk, and increase weight gain. This increases cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, and fatty liver.
It also contributes to back pain and anxiety and/or depression. This tells us that lack of activity is AWFUL for the body…any body. Consider children and teens who sit for hours on video games and electronics. They are inflicting these things on their bodies at such young ages that it is a health crisis.
What do we do to help with this if our only choice is working from a desk?
Well the easy answer is a standing desk or a standing desk converter. These actually make a big difference as we move a lot more when standing. Try using an exercise ball instead of a chair.
These are good for posture and keep you moving around.
Another option is to just move throughout the day. It takes around 60 min of movement a day to counteract sitting all day. However, this can be done in short snippets.
Something like a walk at lunch for 20 min, getting up and walking around the office or the block for 5-10 min in mid morning and mid afternoon and then a 20-30 min walk in the evening at home.
That is 60 min and can be fit into even busy schedules. If walking around the office or at lunch is hard to fit in, just moving at your desk helps. Desk options include standing up while you take a call, doing a couple of yoga stretches or some toe raises at your desk to get circulation flowing, or using an under desk elliptical or peddle machine.
If you have children, walk while they have practice or music lessons instead of sitting in your car. Movement is the key to balancing a sedentary work schedule so any way you can move is good!
Sitting and being sedentary is not how the body functions at its best and it’s very harmful to the body. If you have concerns about your health or want to talk to a provider about custom ways you can get moving again, call Amaze today!
