Even if you exercise each day, studies show that sitting for long periods will increase your risks of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and early death. Many of us sit at a desk or in front of a computer for school or work. At home, you watch a video, read, or play games while seated for long periods.
Here are some tips to encourage to get up and move:
- Trade your chair for an exercise ball. This seating alternative offers numerous benefits, including improvement of balance, posture, spine alignment, and even circulation.
- Walk and talk. Take advantage of the opportunity to stand up, stretch or move around while on calls that do not require being on the computer. If you have a schedule touch base or one-on-one with a colleague or a friend suggest a "walking meeting."
- Break time fitness. Encourage your children to stand up and move or do some fitness practices together during the 10 mins break time.
If you do work on a computer for a long period of time, try the Pomodoro Technique:
- work for 25 minutes,
- take a 5-minute break,
- repeat for four times.
- then, take a 25-minute break.
Try to get in some movement on each of those breaks, even if it is just stretching. For your long break, try going for a walk or even vacuuming. Anything that will get you up and moving.