Today’s challenge is to move more than you usually do.
Research has shown that people who sit more than four hours a day are at greater risk of chronic illnesses, including cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
The same study found that workers that sit for at least six hours were significantly more likely to have diabetes, and those who s
it for 8 hours or more per day had the highest risk, even if they are physically active outside of work. Check out my blog post from February about this research, and this article from today’s Sydney Morning Herald.
It’s surprising how quickly our time sitting adds up, especially if you have ‘office’ job. Drive to work, sit at desk, drive home, sit to eat dinner / watch TV / use electronic devices.
So today your challenge is to move more and break up the hours you sit still during your day. Even moving for 5 – 10 minutes several times during the day can make a positive difference. Also, take note today to see just how many hours you normally spend sitting each day.
Some suggestions to move more: take a walk during your lunch break, walk the kids to or from school, walk the dog after work, use that gym membership you signed up for on New Year’s Day, take a break from the computer at work every hour and take a couple of laps of the office, or park further away from work or the supermarket than you normally would (maybe pack an umbrella if it looks like rain wink emoticon ).
Post below what you did today to move more.
Jo
