Importantly, it’s not enough to get a workout in every once in a while; this and other research have isolated hours of sitting as an independent risk factor for suboptimal functioning and serious health problems, for exercisers and non-exercisers alike. I find it useful to think in terms of activity and movement as a separate category from exercise per se (running, yoga, tennis, circuit training, etc.), and to aim for frequent periods of activity and movement throughout your day, as well as enjoying your preferred forms of exercise as often as possible. Standing desks and treadmill desks are all the rage (I adore my TreadDesk), but you can increase activity without fancy equipment too. Ideas you’ve doubtless read or heard about include standing up and/or pacing when you’re on the phone, using a more distant bathroom, taking the stairs whenever possible, and parking further away from your destination. If you can involve others by getting together for walks, having walking meetings, or even one-on-ones while doing stairs, then more power to you! The goal is to think creatively about how you can add more activity and movement to your day, no matter how or where you’re spending it.
You may decide that you want to quantify your performance and progress too. As Jeff Hyman, CEO of Retrofit, likes to say, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure!” echoing Peter Drucker. I’m a huge fan of and firm believer in the Fitbit and any other brand of step tracker. I’ve decided that I love my Fitbit so much because it gives me only positive news (there’s no such thing as a negative step count) and constant encouragement with its chatter messages. Today it was finally sunny and warm and dry enough for me to take my favorite walk up and around (and up and down some more) and eventually down Mt. Adams, and I was delighted to see that I racked up 54 flights during that hour or so – “Stepgeek” here I come!
When my children were younger, we spent a week most summers at a Minnesota resort called Fair Hills. This is a family-friendly and unpretentious lake resort that features evening entertainment along the lines of Bingo and Talent Night. Tuesdays were reserved for the Hootenanny, which began with a sing-along to old favorites like The Old Gray Mare and Oh Susanna. Amusingly (and healthfully, as it turns out!), we also sang My Bonnie, and the rule was that you had to either stand up or sit back down every time you got to a word beginning with the letter ‘b”. Now think about the chorus: “Bring back, bring back, oh bring back my bonnie to me, to me!” That’s a lot of b’s and the “exercise” had everyone laughing and energized by the time the song was done. Do it now and see for yourself – I promise you a smile and an elevated heartbeat. And I dare you to recruit a co-conspirator to do something similar at your next meeting!
