In the World of Wellness: Stand Up

Wellness is a term widely used that has multiple meanings around health and positive life style changes leading to well-being. Here we will use the term "wellness" as a means of defining a life free from disease as well as a way to explore alternative medicines, what they offer, and what this could mean for you.

Every month I'll do a post on a health and wellness related topic. This will give you a chance to explore other options, become informed, and make the best overall decision for your own well-being.

In the World of Wellness: In the words of Ludacris, stand up!

Ever since I recently went back to school, I've noticed how much sitting I do. For work, I sit. For school, I sit. All this sitting has been driving me crazy, so I decided to look into what sitting all day does to the body and friends, it's not good.

Many, many of us have day jobs where we're tied to the phone or email, conference calls or project planning, sitting on our bums tied to a desk. Even right now, I'm sitting here as I type this and, according to the research done on this lack of movement, my glute muscles are melting away.

In an article I recently read in Natural Health Magazine, standing burns roughly 60 more calories an hour versus sitting. Add that number up over the course of an eight hour day and you just found yourself almost 500 extra calories you could be burning by doing practically nothing. One very alarming thing the article said was that exercising on a regular basis won't be able to to help you if you're sitting down all day, every day. Yikes!

Sitting causes our muscles to shorten and the lack of movement in our bodies can seriously mess up our circulation, digestive system, and even (get this) increase our risk of heart disease. And if you're a slumper, your spine is in some serious trouble.

Here's some info from the Huffington Post on the dangers of sitting and what you can do as an alternative. I had a very dedicated co-worker who created a work station that transformed from a sitting station to a standing one, and let me tell you, she was obviously ahead of her game. Here's another article from the New York Times which also offers up some important info on why sitting too much is bad for your health.

If you have to sit all day, try this Balance Ball, from Gaiam, which helps you to create perfect posture while strengthening your abs as you sit. I've not tried it, but it looks pretty cool. Plus, it's on sale right now.

If you have to sit all day long at work, try to make sure you move at least once every hour. The Insight Lite Timer app helps you to set a reminder on your phone with a lovely chiming bell as often as you like. Get up and stretch, go for a walk around the office, and if you have a headset on your phone, walk around while you talk if at all possible. Whatever you do, make sure you keep moving.


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Image 1 via deviantART
Image 2 via Gaiam.com