Get Up or You’ll Get Down…

I want you to take a moment to reflect on your day, more specifically; the parts of your day when you were sitting down. Start a mental count, how many times did you sit and for how long?

We might not always be conscious of the amount of time we are off our feet. For example, I drive a lot for work, often up to 4 hours a day. That is four hours for work alone I am sitting! Once you have tallied your results you might have a wake-up call like myself. But why is this count so important?

Having your legs inactive for long periods of time can take 2 years or more off of your life according to the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Your legs are a combination of many large muscles (hamstrings and quadriceps for example) forming one of your largest muscle groups in your bod. When you sit 3 or more hours a day the negative impacts can take effect.

Reader’s Digest looked into what they call “sitting disease,” which as we mentioned is being off your feet for hours on end at a time; their antidote states that scattered activity throughout your day can counter the negative influence sitting has on your body. Activity such as; taking the stairs, walking at lunch, working around your home, or standing at work can provide your legs with enough activity. Their article even stated that continuous activity may be more beneficial to one’s health than an all at once workout session (a combination of the two may be ideal).

However, if you are like me, and you are trapped in a seated position with no way to take an “action break”, you are not left without hope. Even doing small activity such as doing leg lifts in a seated position can get your blood flowing and can support a longer life expectancy!

Our solution is quite simple, move! Move at work, move at home, and cut back on using your built-in-cushion.

Until next time my friends… Carry on!

~Kari Rebman