Escape your desk sentence
5 tips to get you out of your chair and improve your health
If you needed more encouragement to get moving and out of your chair, then you have it in new research published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The global study observing adults in 54 countries found that shrinking your daily chair time by as little as 30 minutes every day has positive effects on your health. Bolder goals like reducing sitting time by one or two hours has an even greater impact in warding off chronic disease and metabolic syndrome.
So how does one move more when our chair-based lifestyles are so routine?
Dr. James Aw, Chief Medical Officer at Medcan, says the solution is easy. Where most of us have trouble is in its application.
NEAT solutions to sitting disease
“Clinicians have known about so-called ‘sitting disease’ as early as 2002, when American endocrinologist Dr. James Levine shared his findings,” says Dr. Aw.
“Dr. Levine’s solution at the time, and it is just as relevant today, was non-exercise activity thermogenesis. Known as NEAT, this concept showed how our bodies reacted well to small, seemingly inconsequential non-athletic movements like fidgeting and stretching.”
Here are five Dr. Aw suggestions on how to incorporate more movement in your workday:
1. Every hour, move, stretch or walk around
Recognize every opportunity for movement, walking over to a coworker instead of emailing, or taking the long way to the bathroom. It’s also okay to fidget: bounce a leg or adjust sitting positions. Set an alarm every hour as a reminder.
2. Book walking meetings
Visionary leaders have both been known to enjoy walking meetings as they say it leads to more fluid conversations and creativity. Confident multitaskers can make calls while walking on a treadmill.
3. Establish a standing-desk area
Dedicate part of the office to standing activities like talking on the phone, standing meetings, or reading. Another easy trick is to place the printer a distance away.
4. Monitor steps
Reach your goal of 10,000 or 15,000 steps by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking a little further or going for a walk at lunch or when you get home.
5. Recruit a like-minded colleague or friend
Even in the most supportive environments, it can be easy to get stuck in a sedentary routine. An aligned colleague, much like a workout buddy or personal trainer, can keep you honest if your goal is to move more.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. James Aw is a member of the National Corporate Medical Associates of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and he keeps observerships at Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine.
References
Rezende, Leandro et al. “All-Cause Mortality Attributable to Sitting Time: Analysis of 54 Countries Worldwide.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published Online: March 23, 2016.
