The Sedentary Epidemic - The Need for Walking and Stretching
Benefits of Walking and Stretching in a Sedentary World
- Almost all of us are guilty of a sedentary lifestyle where we spend at least 8 to 10 hours of our day sitting at desks or consuming any form of content. Some research today takes it to the extent of labeling "sitting" as the new "smoking". Whether this is accurate or not, we cannot undermine the adverse side effects of prolonged sitting in both the short and long term.
General Guidelines:
- Stand up and walk around for at least 5 minutes after 30 minutes of sitting: I like to time myself using mobile applications like Forest.
- Stand or walk while talking on the phone or maybe even watching television.
- Use the stairs instead of elevators.
- Park farther away from your job location or destination.
- Take your lunch break away from your desk.
Standing Desk Hype:
- If you work at a desk, you might have heard of standing desks that were overhyped a few years back. Keep in mind that standing for long periods of time is not a wise choice as our bodies were not built for that. Check this Harvard research on standing desk best practices and findings.
Fun fact: Standing as compared to sitting burns an extra 8 calories ❗
- If you still feel like switching between standing and sitting postures and are on a tight budget, you can try cheap alternatives like books, boxes, or even a laptop stand to raise your device to a suitable level.
Nothing Beats Actual Walking
At the end of the day, walking is what keeps us healthy, not sitting, not pedaling, and not standing.
Some other benefits of walking:
Easy-to-Follow Stretching Exercises
- Stretching is a great way to get the blood flowing and lessen the build-up of muscle tension.
Further Resources: