Sierra Blogging Post Archives

This is bad news for writers like myself and for anyone who works in an office or has a sedentary job. Most of us are forced to sit in chairs for eight hours a day... and that's not doing our bodies any good.

It's not like this is surprising. Human beings weren't made to sit in office chairs all day. What we thought was just uncomfortable, though, may be more than that - it may actually affect our health and wellness.

Some doctors, including Dr. James Levine, who directs the Active Life research team at the Mayo Clinic, say sitting all day can actually cause disease and damage our health (not to mention our posture).


From the article in the Denver Post...
Interactivity research, a relatively new scientific discipline dedicated to studying our all-too-sedentary existence, indicates the body actually goes into something akin to a computer's sleep mode when we're hunched in front of a screen or zoned out watching "American Idol." Fat-burning enzymes, particularly lipoprotein lipase, which breaks down triglycerides in the blood, cease working and LPL can drop by as much as 50 percent, studies show.

So what if you're a writer like me, or an IT guy, or otherwise sit in a chair all day? Here are some easy ways to incorporate more movement into your day (if you can't get your boss to spring for a work station treadmill):

1. Get up and walk around for a few minutes every hour or two - even if it's just to the bathroom and back.
2. Fit a workout in before heading to the office.
3. Take the stairs.
4. Use your morning, afternoon and lunch breaks to do something active - take a walk, a run, a bike ride or hit the gym. Eat standing up.
5. Introduce "walking meetings" to your co-workers. If you have a meeting or brainstorming session scheduled with a small group, why not take it around the block? Some people do their best thinking on their feet.
6. Stretch or do calisthenics in your cubicle every couple of hours.
7. Sit on a balance ball instead of a regular chair. At least then you'll be working your core muscles.
8. When you get home at night, don't head straight for the couch. Do something active - you'll feel better and your body will thank you.

Photo Credit: Chris Machian/NY Times