15 May Stand up for better health – get out of your chair

A growing number of people are standing up for better health.

No, they’re not marching on Congress or holding local rallies, but with the health problems many in our country are facing that wouldn’t be a bad idea.

In this case, I’m talking about the growing movement by people who want to avoid the time they spend sitting on a chair in order to become healthier.

There have been many studies that conclude that sitting for six or more hours a day can significantly increase your risk of early death from the likes of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

In one study from the American Cancer Society, it said sitting for six or more hours a day would increase the odds of early death 34 percent for women – REGARDLESS of how much they exercise. That’s a scary statistic.

However, people are fighting back, actually make that standing up to those odds, by losing their chairs.
You might ask, “How am I supposed to avoid sitting when I have an eight-hour-a-day desk job?”

Here are some ways people are avoiding sitting at work:

• Stand-up worker – Talk to your boss and ask if it would be OK if your desk is re-configured so you can stand and type at your computer.
• Stand while talking on the phone.
• Walk or bike to work when possible.

There are phone and computer apps that can easily be found that will alert you when it’s time to get up for a stretch break.

Take frequent breaks – Get up every half hour or so to walk around and stretch. Do some lunges, or take a brisk walk around the building.
Go on the all-out warpath against sitting – I am hearing of more and more people who engineer desk attachments for their treadmill, exercise bikes or elliptical training machines that enable them to work while doing light cardio exercise such as walking or pedaling.

At Home Fitness sells an oustanding treadmill desk – the LifeSpan TR1200-DT Treadmill Desk (MSRP: $1,999.00, Sale Price: $1,299.00, save $700). It includes a sturdy work surface measuring 46.5″ wide and 31″ deep to easily support your laptop, printer, computer display and other electronics devices.

Obviously that’s not possible to have a treadmill desk in all offices, but look into that if you work at home or have an open-minded workplace.
Standing erases three times as many calories as walking.

Now that’s awesome!

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com