Stand Up! No, I’m Not Kidding.

by | Dec 12, 2012

Do you work out during the week?  And are you active on weekends? If the answer is yes, that’s good! But, if you’re sitting in front of a computer for most of the workday, or on your rear watching TV for hours each evening, none of that active time seems to matter in the long run.

Too much sitting, even with an otherwise active lifestyle, will shave years off of your life.

Here are a few ways to avoid the sittin’ down blues if you spend your day at a computer:

  • Get an adjustable desk that elevates your monitor and keyboard when you want to stand, and takes them back down when you want to sit. Don’t sit for more than an hour at a time.
  • Stand up to talk on the phone or when chatting with colleagues.
  • Walk the long way around the office to get a drink or use the facilities.
  • Don’t phone or text anyone who shares your office space—get up and walk to them, even for brief conversations.
  • Get rid of your desk chair and use an exercise ball. Just trying to stay on the thing will give you a bit of a workout.
  • Set a timer to go off about 45 minutes after you sit down, and get back up when it dings.
  • Walk up or down a couple of flights of stairs each day, rather than taking the elevator. If you’re on the 20th floor, get off on the second floor and walk the rest of the way down.

This won’t be fun or easy at the beginning. Commit to two weeks, and then two more, and then three more. See what happens.

What else can we do to stay off our rears during the workday? Share your ideas in the comments—we’ll do this together.

By Danny Tehrani