AMRAP in 20 minutes:

Run 200m

20 Weighted Box Step Ups

10 Overhead Lunges

10 Ring Rows

Sitting Will Kill You
Written by Danielle Dufrene via the Crossfit Inviticus blog

Have you ever stopped to ponder the number of hours in the day you spend sitting relative to those spent being active? I have and it is a rather scary thought. I workout as most of us do, 5-6 days a week for about an hour, sometimes a little more. But, when I look at that measly hour compared to how I spend the majority of my day, it is concerning. I drive to work (sitting), I have an office job (sitting), I drive home (sitting), make dinner, eat dinner (sitting) and often times wrap up my day by checking my email or reading (sitting). It doesn’t even out.

A study published last year tracked 17,000 Canadians for about 12 years, the researchers reported that those who sat more had a higher death risk whether they exercised or not. The research is still preliminary and health officials haven’t set guidelines for limiting the number of hours one sits in a day. What we can be quite confident in is that despite the fact we workout regularly the majority of our day is spent being sedentary. I don’t need anyone to do a scientific study on me to prove that the numerous hours I spend at a desk contribute to my rounded shoulders, lower back pain and tight hips. Doesn’t really take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

What to do? The answer is simple inject as much activity as you possibly can in your day. Accept that one hour in your day isn’t enough and look for opportunities to choose activity rather than sitting. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Your commute: Recently I decided to buy a bike. I live in North Park and work downtown. I figure 3 days out of the week I can bike to the office. If I am destined to sit on my booty for 8 hours a day at least I can start and finish the day with activity. Maybe it isn’t practical for you to bike to work, but are there other ways you can increase your activity level? Can you take the stairs rather than riding in the elevator, park a little farther away and walk a bit more. Get creative. It doesn’t have to be a lot. The goal here is a little bit constantly throughout your day.

Micro-breaks: What is that you say? This is an opportunity not to break from work, but rather a break from sitting. I often take phone calls and conference calls out in our hall way, so that I can pace back and forth. Thinking of sending an email to a colleague or IMing them? Get up out of your chair and pay them a visit instead.

Rest-breaks: Every hour get up and take a break. It doesn’t have to be for long. Refill your water bottle, go to the bathroom. Whatever. And stretch a little. You don’t have to put yourself into some human pretzel position. You can do subtle stretches that won’t alarm your peers. The point is to commit to getting up and out of your desk every hour of your day.

Take back the lunch break: I don’t know about you, but I don’t really take a lunch hour anymore. I pack my lunch and snacks and bring them to work. Typically, I eat at my desk. Great for productivity and my pocketbook; however, that is usually the best time to get out of the office. Now, even if I eat lunch at my desk I try to go outside, take a 15 minute walk to get fresh air or run a few errands. Use this time to get outdoors and move, move, move.

Take the challenge. Commit to spending more hours in your day being active than you do sitting or being sedentary. And if you have good suggestions for ways to inject activity into our daily lives, please do share!

(And for more evidence that sitting will kill you check out “The Men Who Stare at Screens,” a recent article in the New York Times.)