Have you thought about of how much we sit down in a day? Sitting in the train or bus while commuting, riding your car, parking yourself on the office desk for eight hours and then lying on the couch in front of the television, consuming what is probably a junk meal — all these make you fall into the trap of ‘prolonged sitting’.
The baffling thing is that people expend all day scrunched in a chair, a form of physical entrapment. Too much of sitting and inactiveness leads us into a sedentary lifestyle.
Those who work at jobs where the majority of the day is spent in sitting the whole day may be at a greater risk for wellbeing issues. Long periods of physical inactivity raise your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. You’re meant to move. Get up and go. Here are ways to help you get more on-your-feet time in an otherwise desk-bound day:
During office hours, evade the elevator; take the staircase instead. When
early, park your car away from office, and walk around.
Check out local gyms and fitness programmes. They will help you out with a protein-, mineral- and vitamin-rich diet throughout the day. Eliminate fizzy drinks, greasy fried junk foods and tinned stuff.
n Park far away from the foyer in a store or restaurant. Make multiple trips to
grocery stores or shopping areas, so that they could give you many reasons to move around even though the purchase may be of trivial value.
While watching TV, instead of switching channels during the ad break, get up and amble about the house. Do some lunges or some simple stretching exercises.
After dinner, rinse the dishes and sink as post-dinner activity.
How about some gardening and housekeeping on weekends? It is an
excellent manner to get yourself ‘on the move’ around the house.
Develop an outdoor sport habit such as tennis, football, cricket etc. It is a healthy technique to warm up and tone your body muscles.
Go on a hike or stroll with friends, family and pets. Go for a jog early in the morning or even try cycling.
Reversing a sluggish lifestyle is one of the most gratifying changes in living a
person can undertake. Initiation of exercise releases the body’s natural energy. Plus, becoming energetic can have nearly immediate reinforcing effects.
Those who exercise, eat better, sleep better, have enhanced moods and better life satisfaction than those who are lethargic. The more you work on making your body healthy, the more contented you are.