Active couch potato – a person who spends the majority of the day with little physical movement & low energy expenditure even though they may be doing up to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day.
Think about this for a moment. Are you sitting at a desk for work? Do spend a good part of your day driving/commuting? Do you sit or lie down to watch tv? Many of us don’t realize how much time we spend sitting in a day. Studies show that adults are sedentary for approximately three quarters of a day.
Going to the gym or working out once a day isn’t enough. Don’t get me wrong. That sweat session has many, many benefits. KEEP GOING!! But if you really want to improve your health and well-being, I recommend adding movement to the rest of your day as well. Our bodies are meant to move. If you want to live a healthy lifestyle and/or lose weight, you must not only participate in an exercise program, you MUST become less sedentary as well!
Benefits of movement:
- Improved immune health
- Better weight management
- Manage blood sugar
- Better quality sleep
- Improved mental health
- Improved joint health
- Improved posture
- Increased energy
- Increased muscular strength and endurance
- Improved coordination and balance
- Improved circulation and cardiovascular functioning
Dangers of sitting:
- Metabolic engines slow down = you burn fewer calories
- Rise in fat and cholesterol levels
- Poor posture
- Low back pain
- Increase risk of experiencing depression and anxiety
- Poor leg circulation
- Increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis
- Shortened life span
What can you do?
- Get up and walk or stretch for two minutes, every hour. Set an alarm. Get the blood flowing to all areas of your body. You may even find yourself more productive at work.
- If working at your desk, stand while talking on the phone.
- Walk laps with colleagues rather than meeting in a conference room/office for meetings.
- Bike to work.
- Park further away from the door when shopping or going to work.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Use an activity tracking device and set daily goals.
- Stretch and move around while watching tv.
- Plan active weekends (hikes, longer walks, cleaning out the garage, etc).
- Play with the kids/grandkids rather than watch them play.
- Keep yourself accountable! Hire a personal trainer or join a support group.
The options are endless. Get creative. You don’t have to do much. SIMPLY GET UP AND MOVE.
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