“When I move my body, I move my mind and  create a paradigm shift.”

We spend a lot of time sitting at work, school, home, and in coffee shops and restaurants.   We also spend a lot of time sitting in cars, buses, and trains as we hustle to work.  And after sitting most of the time at work, we spend time at home watching TV, scrolling through social media, or talking on the phone.  Doesn’t your butt hurt just thinking of how much sitting you do?

Some researchers report that “sitting is the new smoking,” which means that it is one of the worst things you can do to your body.  Our bodies were not designed to sit all day.  Our bodies need to be moving regularly throughout the day.  Research shows that if we sit less, we can reduce our risk for developing back pain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.  Can you believe that a simple decision to sit less and move more can have that much impact?

Build Movement Into Your Daily Life

To reduce the amount of time you spend sitting, you must find ways to be more active and find small ways to incorporate movement in your daily life. Here are some ways you can be more active:

At Work

• Park further away and walk
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator
• Stand up and stretch for 5 minutes for every hour that you sit
• Stand up and move around when you talk on the phone
• Instead of a taking a phone break or texting break at work, walk for 5 minutes inside or outside the building
• Walk alone or with a coworker during your break at work
• Start a lunchtime walk group at work
• Walk fast around the building for 5 minutes

At Home

• Fold laundry standing up
• Take a walk after dinner
• Turn up the music and dance while you clean
• Stand up and march during commercial breaks on TV
• Lift light weights or do sit-ups during commercial breaks on TV
• Get out the yoga mat and stretch during your favorite TV show
• Ride your indoor bike while you watch TV

You get the idea. Sit less. Move more. You don’t have to climb a mountain or run a marathon.  All it takes is for you to make the decision to take a few more steps every day.  Your body will thank you.

Reflection

• What are some ways other ideas that you can take to move more and sit les at work and at home?
• What are some challenges that prevent you from being more active?

We look forward to hearing about your experience in the comment section of this blog. Or you can join the conversation on the Keep It Tight Sisters Facebook Group.

Keep It Tight Sisters.

Eat. Move. Breathe.