19 Mar Get Up and Move!!

You. Yes, that’s right. You, right there. Sitting in your chair.

GET UP!

Just trust me on this.

Getting out of your chair during the day helps to change your perspective and get your blood flowing. Need more reasons to get your butt out of that chair?  Okay, I’ll oblige. 😉

1. Improve your mental health – It’s true. A June 2013 Mental Health and Physical Activity study found that people who were required to sit for longer periods of time for work were more likely to experience signs of psychological distress, regardless of how active they were outside of work.

2. Improve your hearth health – Yup. Sitting more often may also mean a greater risk of heart disease. A June 2013 Journal of the American College of Cardiology study found that postmenopausal women who sat for greater than 10 hours each day were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than women who sat five or fewer hours daily.

3. Live longer! – Who doesn’t want to live longer? Well, according to a 2010 American Cancer Society review, you may just do so if you sit fewer than three hours daily. Middle-aged men and women who sat for at least six hours per day had a 34-percent higher death rate during the study.

Need another good reason to stand? How about burning 8+ pounds per year? Standing can torch an extra 20-50 calories per hour (depends on body size). That’s reason enough for me to get up and move.

 BONUS TIP! Here are three simple steps you can take to move more:

• Drink more water! You can probably guess why… A full bladder is a gentle reminder it’s time to get up and move.
• Stop eating at your desk! If you must eat at your desk, get up and walk around the building a few times throughout the day.
• Stand when you’re on the phone! The person on the other end won’t hear you pacing and stretching.