Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Get Healthy Bloghop

Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh, Stephen Tremp, L. Diane Wolfe, and Michael Di Gesu for hosting this bloghop. The rules are simple:

Share with everyone something you have done that affected your health in a positive way. You can share an awesome low cal low fat tasty recipe. Post simple tips to lose weight. Or a testimony on what has helped like joining Weight Watchers. Recommend a routine like P90X or Insanity. Or stretches one can do while sitting in their office chair working or writing. We’re sure people have countless great tips and ideas they would love to share.

I sort of have a love-hate relationship with healthy living (as I imagine many people do). I whine about it constantly, but I'm also incredibly dedicated to it (in moderation). And one of the best pieces of advice I got came from a friend last year: create a standing desk.

We weren't meant to be sedentary creatures. Sitting for long periods of time dramatically increases your risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and a whole host of other health issues. It's bad for your circulation and for the muscles in your legs. And let's face it: most of us don't sit properly, causing problems for our backs and necks.

I made my standing desk out of boxes and books, with a cushioned bathmat on the floor so my feet don't hurt as much. It's a little rough around the edges (and I got laughed at by my colleagues for the first couple months), but it gets the job done. And honestly, I feel better after standing for 7 hours than I did after sitting. My back doesn't hurt as much anymore, and now that my leg and foot muscles are stronger, I don't feel as exhausted at the end of the day. That's not to say I'm not still sore sometimes, and I am physically tired, but it's actually kind of nice because it makes me feel like I've done more with my day than push paper from one side of the desk to the other. I focus better, which I can't really explain but somehow seems to work.

I'm not saying everyone should go out and stand for 7 hours a day. For one thing, you should really build up to it. Until a few weeks ago, I was taking an hour-long sit break in the morning and in the afternoon, and that's after many months of doing this. Also, standing for this long really isn't for everyone. But here's my challenge to you: find an hour a day when you normally sit (be that when you're writing or paying the bills or watching TV) and stand while you do that task instead. Do it every day, or as many times a week as you can. It might be uncomfortable at first, but I think once you start to see the benefits, you'll find you kind of enjoy it.

11 comments:

  1. This is a good idea. My back hurts all the time. Thanks for the tip!

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  2. That's a really good idea! I've never thought of standing as an exercise.

    www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

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  3. And then stand on one leg :-) Not as daft as it sounds - works your core muscles!

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  4. My husband and I were just discussing standing desks. He has a bad back and has poor posture, so he thinks getting one will help him. Glad to hear testimonial that it does work!

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  5. This wouldn't work for me, with the injuries I've had, I have to be mobile. I was made aware of this one summer where I had to be on my feet for hours at a time. Not good if circulation is a problem.

    You have to find what works for you, so glad you did!

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  6. I think swapping out another sitting activity (can we call it activity?) would work best for me. Perhaps that's another reason I enjoy playing my guitar in the evening. I stand up to play.
    Thanks for participating in our bloghop.

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  7. A standing desk - oh, I don't think I want to go there quite yet. I'll just stick to getting up and moving periodically, even frequently, to keep the blood flowing and change the view throughout the day.

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  8. A standing desk is an interesting idea. I think right now I'll try getting up more often to stretch and walk around.

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  9. "In moderation!" Love that! Very, very true!

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  10. HI, Tobi,

    Standing is a great alternative. But as you say build up to it. Standing can be hard on the joints and you can get varicose veins, so keep that in mind. But standing and MOVING about is a great idea.

    Congrats on being so imaginative. I do like the sound of this idea. Thanks for sharing.

    AND, thanks for joining the HOP!

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    ReplyDelete