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Sitting is the New Smoking!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

www.theglobeandmail.com/
life/health-and-fitness/he
alth/why-the-sedentary-lif
e-is-killing-us/article4613704/

Sure, exercise is a good thing -- but even if we're part of the tiny minority who do aim for daily exercise, that 30 minutes a day doesn't cut it. It's not enough to offset the other 23.5 hours of inactivity.

Most of us don't exert a lot of physical energy at work any more. And at home we've got dishwashers and laundry machines and vacuum cleaners and . . . . yeah.

How can we keep moving?

I'm gonna print off emails (yeah, I know . . . ) and get up from my desk and walk to the printer and retrieve them and put them in the file myself.

I'm gonna try to stand up while I take phone calls, and move around.

I'm gonna try to poke my nose out the door at lunch time, take a bit of a stroll and clear my head.

I stopped smoking about 35 years ago.

Now: how to stop sitting and engage in a program of continuous movement!!

P.S.

And am I seriously delusional enough to think that not-sitting could possibly make me smoking hot at my age and stage?? Uh . . . . no.

But it's all relative, right? Gotta keep blowing on those dying embers!!
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  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

AMARILYNH 10/20/2012 6:46AM

    Yep - I never smoked but I DID sit at a desk for most of the day as an accountant. Since I've been retired and exchanged all that sitting for lots of walking (I consider walking to be my 'retirement' job!) I look and feel much younger!! As I told my 12 yo GS last Sunday while we were hiking, I am in better physical shape than I was 30 years ago. Know his answer? "I think that's a good thing, Mimi!!' Yep - I have to stay healthy so when he presents me with a GGranddaughter I'll be up for loving her as much as I love him and his brother!!

I sure wish I'd had a fitbit when I was working - I did try to get up and move around when I thought of it but the fitbit would have reminded me to do more of it!!

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KANOE10 10/20/2012 6:23AM

    You are right..Some people are now typing standing up at work. You wrote a good blog. We need to move more whenever we can. I try to get mini walks in or move around in my job.

Great blog and good reminder!

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DDOORN 10/19/2012 9:54AM

    Wish I could trade in my work desk for a treadmill workstation! :-)

http://www.amazon.com/Tr
ek-TD-01-TrekDesk-Treadmill-Des
k/dp/B002IYRBI0

Don

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IRONBLOSSOM 10/17/2012 12:28PM

    You've got it! I always stand up while I'm on phone calls, try to stand up every 15-30 minutes even if just to do some toe touches and sit right back down, and chug water in the morning because that is just the gift that keeps giving (going!) all day long! :-)

That's at work, at all other times, inefficiency is totally the key. I've also forced myself to get up if my boyfriend is watching something I'm not into on tv (or on commercials if it is something I like) and roam around the house even if I don't have a specific task in mind. I can always find SOMETHING that needs cleaning, organizing, or just moving! :-)

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NANCY- 10/17/2012 8:13AM

    After sitting in a car for hours... I needed to stretch out my muscles. Getting that blood flowing and staying active is what matters. I know you have that covered.
Mr. Picard does know how to open an article so it grabs attention. Perhaps what some folks need is excessive hype to get moving.

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_LINDA 10/17/2012 2:29AM

    I read about this a while ago On Sparkpeople. Even an hour daily is not good enough. Most of my life is spent sitting in between exercise classes. The ironic part is pain is keeping me moving now. It hurts to sit or lay down too long :P. I have my phone on a dresser so that I have to stand up and talk. I like using a speaker phone so I am free to do other things while on it. But there is nothing the right height to use my computer on, but I do sit on a stability ball -wonder if that counts at all??
I love washing dishes by hand -none of our family has ever has a dishwasher and wouldn't dream of gettting one although my nephew wants to.
I have had to refuse countless rides to the club and back. Can you imagine not walking five blocks one way -someone actually though that was quite far !! emoticon
Far is the 10 km hikes Mom and I do :)
Here is to keep on moving and grooving!!

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ONEKIDSMOM 10/16/2012 6:57PM

    emoticon I've never been a smoker... or considered myself "smokin'" for that matter! But you've made me both think and laugh... and move!

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SOULOFWELLNESS 10/16/2012 5:41PM

    emoticon emoticon

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DALID414 10/16/2012 3:21PM

    emoticon

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PHEBESS 10/16/2012 12:44PM

    Yup - I used to walk around school instead of emailing people info - could get in a nice 30 minute walk that way! Inefficient is definitely healthier!

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TRAVELGRRL 10/16/2012 12:40PM

    This is very disturbing and sobering! Like CrystalJem I have found that when I try to be "less efficient" I actually am much more active and my Fitbit device bears that out. For instance, I'll make 3-4 trips to get folded laundry to the bedroom, rather than piling it all in the basket and delivering it at once. My mailbox is 2/5 mile round trip from my house, yet I ALWAYS walk it ...yesterday when I went up at the usual time and the mail hadn't been delivered, I waited another hour and walked it again. I didn't even think about driving, although in years past I would have driven it both times!

Being "inefficient" won't work in everyone's busy life, but it's something we need to be able to embrace without being frowned upon!

Comment edited on: 10/16/2012 12:41:52 PM

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BROOKLYN_BORN 10/16/2012 11:28AM

    Thanks for posting this link. I'd heard of the studies and it makes sense. Can't rest on our laurels of daily workouts. We've got to get off our rear ends throughout the day too. We can't turn back time but maybe we can slow it down a little.

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SLENDERELLA61 10/16/2012 11:08AM

    Keep blowing! Keep blowing! Love it!!! Yep, we can keep moving. Probably my most sitting is doing SparkPeople. I tried putting the computer up on a dresser for a few days, but it really isn't the right height. My counters are too low. Need to find a tall table that will work.

I highly recommend grandkids to keep you from sitting!! But even then you've got to make a concerted effort to stand, walk, and be active!!

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CRYSTALJEM 10/16/2012 8:31AM

    That is a huge challenge, but one that I agree is worth it. Your methods are exactly how I started. I have a friend who always sits and her body shows it. Her kids were well trained to take care of themselves early (ie get their own toys, climb up to get their own cup) so their independence was great - but it didn't help her at all. I chose to do things together - I get up and move as much as possible. Sometimes my husband calls it inefficient because I'll make multiple trips, what he doesn't get is that it's part of my exercise. I do take the stairs when I can, I don't look for the closest parking spot (except in our Canadian winters lol). I decided since exercise isn't my favourite thing, I have to make it part of my entire lifestyle - not just planned exercise, I have to just keep moving and doing, then it's just life.

Ok, I need my tea so I can wake up and make some sense. lol. Have a great day. CJ

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