Sitting at my desk every day is the most unhealthy part of my lifestyle. Being sedentary is connected to an increased diabetes risk and weight gain. Standing desks are a great solution for some, but I found they're just too awkward for me. If sitting at a desk all day is practically your job description, what can you do?
Turns out fidgeting might actually help save your life. In an effort to prevent constant sitting from becoming just "part of your day" try doing the following:
1. Create an appointment on your calendar once every hour. When the alarm goes off, simply pick a task off your to-do list that requires standing. Maybe it's reading an article or making copies. Research shows that long-stretches of sedentary sitting can actually reduce your body's ability to metabolize sugar, which can lead to weight gain. Constant breaks from sitting may be a key to preventing this slow down.
2. Ask your colleagues to join you. Are you about to have a brief meeting with co-workers when your alarm goes off? Ask them to join you and have a standing meeting together.
3. When you schedule conference calls, try to choose a location where you can easily stand while chatting. It can be a little awkward to stand in the middle of a crowded cubicle area. If you can find a small office or conference room that allows you to stand and chat in peace, be sure to reserve it in advance and plan to take the call on your feet.
(Image: Elizabeth Giorgi)
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Make sure you leave the building for lunch--even if it is only to go to the park to eat your sandwich.
Sit on an exercise ball. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/jobs/working-out-inside-the-office.html
so looking forward to the day when i don't have a job that requires sitting for 80% of the day. i would love a standing desk...
I work from home as a transcriptionist, so 99% of my job involves sitting, often for 12-hour days. I never eat a meal sitting down at home and I get in as many short walks a day as I can, even if it's just to the dumpster. I never feel like it's enough, though.
As a Reference Librarian, I sit a lot. But I usually also get up a lot, to find a book for someone, grab a printout, take a form to the Circulation staff, etc. (Today is very quiet, so a reminder to stand is a good thing!)
I have read that simply standing up then sitting down, a bit slower than plopping with gravity, is actually great exercise, and that we who sit should do it as often as possible, ideally a few times an hour (I think the article suggested ten, but my memory is hazy on that now...)
This is a great idea, and I'm thinking I can integrate it with UFYH's 20/10s (http://unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com/post/14586111949/hello-all-you-lovely-new-followers): 20 or 30 minutes of studying, then 10 minutes of walking around.
i use an app called WorkRave to remind me to take a break. it also has basic "exercises" to do during some of the breaks!
Hm, I see a ton of posts like this for people who sit all day. What about advice those of us who are on our feet all day? I'm young, but I feel like retail is probably destroying my body.