Stop Sitting and Get Up!

Hands on laptop keyboard - Stop Sitting and Get Up

Let’s face it. If you have an office job, you sit too much. If you’re a student, you’re at least forced to stop sitting and get up to walk to your other classes, but unless you’re involved in manual labor all day, you’re very likely sitting at your desk for far too long every day. For the sake of your health, it’s time to stop sitting and get up.

It’s estimated that approximately 75% of today’s workforce sits at a desk. The negative health implications of the nonstop sitting are piling up, and it’s time to face the fact that sitting so much is bad for your health. And I’m not just talking about the neck and back pain. Here are a few of the other negative health impacts:

  • Tension and tightness in muscles and joints
  • Numbness and muscle weakness
  • Decreased blood flow and poor circulation
  • Decreased range of motion in hips
  • Neck and back pain
  • Poor posture
  • Increased risk of disease
  • Weight gain (low activity and reduced circulation of fat-mobilizing lipase enzyme)
  • Sitting for 6 hours or more per day decreases life expectancy compared to those who sit less than 3 hours per day

So, if you find yourself sitting for most of the day, how can you avoid all the potential negative health issues? It’s simple: Stop sitting so much and get up!

It really is that simple. Even if you have a full-time office job, make some simple changes throughout your day as listed below.

Get a standing workstation

If your employer allows it, request an adjustable standing desk or a separate, standing work station. If you work from a home office, do the same, and if all else fails, get creative and make a standing work station by stacking books or boxes. 

Standing all day isn’t good either, so be sure to change between your seated and standing workstations throughout the day.

Choose the back of the parking lot

BMW at the back of a parking lot with no cars - Stop Sitting and Get Up!

Park at the far end of the lot to give yourself a little extra movement at the beginning and end of your day. Plus, as an added bonus, you’ll avoid door dings since everyone else will be cluttered near the entrance.

Take the stairs

Whether it’s at work, school, or while you’re out shopping on the weekend, take the stairs rather than an escalator or elevator. Make those otherwise neglected muscles and joints do some work.

Keep things out of reach

Sure, it’s convenient to keep everything right next to you, but do yourself a huge favor and move everything just out of arm’s reach. That’ll force you to get up and walk across your office or cubicle.

Walk or ride a bike

Row of parked bikes - Stop Sitting and Get Up!

If you live close enough to work, walk or ride a bike a few days a week. Make sure to also get up often during the day for bathroom breaks or to get coffee or water. In fact, use a smaller cup to force yourself to get up more often, and use the furthest restroom if you work in a large office.

Move!

Just get up and move! Set an alarm or use a desktop app to remind you to get up every 30-45 minutes. Take a short walk, stretch, squat, jump, lunge… Whatever! Taking even a little bit of time to stretch and move will do wonders for your health and will also make you more productive and focused on your work because of the increased blood flow.

Do I follow my own advice? Not nearly often enough, unfortunately. I’m fairly fit, but because I sit so much during the day, I’ve got chronic neck and back pain, so I fully understand how tough it is to stop working.

I’ve resorted to desktop reminders that prevent me from working until I get up and do something—annoying, but they keep me on track. I also recently dug out my old Anatomy of Stretching book to help with some of my biggest trouble areas—it’s helping a lot. I also have a foam roller that I might be a little addicted to, but that’s a story for another day. LOL!

The point is, it’s well worth the effort to get up and move every hour—or less if you manage it. Not only will it help prevent health issues, giving yourself breaks will noticeably improve your productivity.

So, stop sitting and get up!

—Jonathan Lawson


Recommended:
Tight Hips Can Damage Your Back

Psoas illustration

If you sit for long periods of time or do heavy squats in the gym, you’ve successfully followed the formula for creating tight iliopsoas muscles…

If you sit for long periods of time or do heavy squats in the gym, you’ve successfully followed the formula for creating tight iliopsoas muscles…

That means you likely suffer from back pain and poor circulation.

One of the most significant things about the psoas, or hip flexor muscle, is that it connects the legs to the spine.

When the psoas is tight from sitting for long periods, your hips get locked into a forward-thrust position…

That forward pelvic tilt can cause your hip socket to become compressed, shifting joints, tendons, and muscles with an often painful pull on your lower back, which leads to decreased blood flow and circulation. Poor blood flow below the waist can negatively affect your sex life, too, so that pain isn’t just in your back.

Loosening your hips and hip flexors is simple with the “Sequential Flow Method” developed by Rick Kaselj, M.S., leading kinesiologist and injury specialist.

Rick has given over hundreds of live presentations to thousands of health professionals in the U.S. and Canada. His Unlock Your Hip Flexors program is highly recommended. For more info, go HERE.

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