Quick Tip: Stand More!

One of the health trends of the past few years is to encourage people to stand more frequently throughout the day.

It turns out that sitting for long stretches of time is actually a hazard to your health!

But I’m a Runner, So I’m Good

Wrong!

Running is obviously good for you.

But just cause you got that run in before work doesn’t mean you’re immune from the effects of sitting for 6/8/10+ hours while you’re at the office.

There was an article covering this very topic in Runner’s World a couple of years ago. (Here’s the link to the full article, in case you missed it.) One of the quotes in the article that really stood out to me was from exercise physiologist Travis Saunders, who said:

“Now a consistent body of emerging research suggests it is entirely possible to meet current physical activity guidelines while still being incredibly sedentary, and that sitting increases your risk of death and disease, even if you are getting plenty of physical activity.”

Sorry, but even though we run, we definitely need to make sure we are regularly getting up and moving around throughout the day.

Ways to Stand More

The fact is that if you stand more throughout the day, it’s better for your health. But that doesn’t mean you have to stand for your entire shift.

My Desk Easily Converts from Sitting to Standing and Back

It’s ok to sit, you just don’t want to be stuck at your desk sitting for hours on end.

Need some ideas for ways to stand more on the daily? Here you go.

• A Standing Desk: There are numerous products that you can buy that will allow you to raise and lower your “desk” so you can stand and sit sporadically throughout the day. But yo don’t have to spend any money to create your own standing desk. Notice the text books beneath the keyboard in the picture above? That’s basically how I transition my desk from a sitting desk to a standing one. Raise the keyboard, tilt the monitor, and I’m standing while I work.
• Drink More Water: The more you’re getting up to fill your water bottle, the more you’re getting up, right? And what goes in is going to have to come out, so you’ll be getting up even more frequently!
• Stand When You’re on the Phone: Don’t like the idea of a standing desk (neither proper nor “home made”)? That’s fine. But what if you stood every time you were on the phone? If you make several calls a day, that time on your feet would really add up!
• Set an Alarm as a Reminder: It can be easy to get in the zone while you’re working, and pretty soon a few hours blows by before you even realize it. So set an alarm. I don’t care if you use your phone, something on the computer, or whatever else, but set that joker to go off every 60-90 minutes. And when it does, stand up for a few minutes before getting back to whatever you were working on.

Honestly, a list like this is limited only by your imagination.

If you make it a priority to get off your butt and stand more on a regular basis, you might be surprised at just how often we sit when we could just as easily stand.

Are You Aware of How Much Time You Spend Sitting Each Day? What are Your “Go To” Ways to Stand More Frequently?