A few years ago, I read an article that said, “If you sit for 8 hours a day, you are setting yourself up for a heart attack.” I was so surprised, I thought if you exercised for 150 minutes per week, you were good to go. Apparently, that is not the case.
Sitting for long periods of time can have negative effects on your health. It can put you at a higher risk for a heart attack, stroke, metabolic syndrome, poor sleep habits or high blood pressure.
So with these types of risks, what can we do to prevent them?
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Here are some fun get moving ideas:
Make an appointment every hour to take a 5 minute break. Walk outside for 5 minutes.
Pace when you return someone's call, then you are listening and moving at the same time.
Pull out 5-10 pound weights and do 20 slow bicep and triceps curls standing. Repeat the exercises if you have time.
Go out of your office and get a drink of water, changing your surroundings, moving away from your desk and drinking water, may help to change your mood.
Take a walk outside or on a different floor of your building for your morning break, use your cell phone camera to capture something interesting. This will get you moving and change your mindset, you are getting curious just like you were when you were a child.
Meet a coworker for a quick walk, it will help you shift gears and help you feel connected.
Walk your dog at the end of the day after work. Dog owners tend to be thinner since they walk their dogs daily and it is good for both of you. This also signals the end of your work day and a connection to your pet!!! If you are at home, walk your dog anytime that works for your schedule.
Work out in the corporate gym, you can meet a friend during lunch for a workout and a quick lunch post workout.
Do 10 minutes of chair yoga exercises, this can help you relax and give your muscles a much needed break.
If you are at home, do a quick online video that has intervals, walk in place to music set to a timer. Use a treadmill, bicycle or any exercise equipment you have at home for 15 minutes or more.... Meet a neighborhood friend for a walk, catch up on neighborhood news.
Rake leaves or work in your yard for 10 minute intervals.
Trade child care with a friend and use your time to exercise.
Take your kids on a stroll, do a treasure hunt to see what you can find along the way.
Check out your local Farmer’s Market, walk from one end to the other.
Walk down every aisle at the grocery store, you can get in a lot of steps using this approach.
Use a pedometer and see how many steps you can walk in a day.
Walk up and down the stairs several times, this gets your heart rate up quickly.
Put on some zippy music and dance for 15 minutes, you can be a rock-star in your own home! Cha Cha Cha
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These above activities do not take the place of your regular exercise routine, keep up your 150 minutes a week to improve your health. Below are some websites to help you with your regular routine.
This site for fitness is by the government and it explains the guidelines for 150 minutes of activity per week of moderate intensity and 2 days of weight training and has a neat interactive tool to help you create your activity planner.
The ACE website is a great place to look for exercise information that is accurate and based on research. Exercise Can Help Control Stress
Here is a picture I took on a recent walk, the leaves were falling as I walked.
Keep up the good work, we are getting better together!!!!!
Ciao,
Jamie
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