Help for Sitters!
Well folks, the word is out. I hope you are standing up for this news. Sitting is the new smoking. All this time we spend on our derriere is killing us!
The peer-reviewed research is undisputable. Sitting has been implicated as a risk factor for cancer and cardiovascular disease. One study found that there was a higher risk of death, from all causes, associated with excessive sitting. Researches went so far as to say, “In addition to the promotion of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and a healthy weight, physicians should discourage sitting for extended periods.”
Will you do a little test for me? Would you be willing to keep track of how much time you spend sitting today? Don’t leave any sitting time out – be sure to include the sitting you do at work, at play (on the computer, watching television), while eating, driving, going to the bathroom – all of it. If you’re willing, I’d love to hear your findings in the comments below.
So what can we do about it? Today I’m launching a series – here on the blog and over at Stay-at-Home Yoga, my virtual yoga studio – designed to help. Whether you are sitting because you have pain and fatigue when you stand, or because it is necessitated for your work, this series will help you make some changes.
Unfortunately, regular, intense bouts of exercise are not enough to “undo” the damage done by prolonged sitting. So, this series (and the corresponding yoga classes) are designed to inspire you to think and move differently. Each week we will cover a different part of the body. I will give you ideas for “movement breaks” that should be taken, at least hourly, if you must sit for extended periods. I will also address how to retrain your muscles to restore healthy alignment in your body.
We’re starting today with the lower body. Excessive sitting has a dramatic impact on the muscle lengths in the legs. While we’re banging away on the computer, driving to and fro, scarfing down our dinner and watching our favorite TV shows, our calves and hamstrings are becoming so tight they set us up for some real problems like plantar fasciitis and low back pain. Even more frightening, when tight, these large muscles are not able to adequately support the cardiovascular system by holding their share of the blood – which puts a strain on our main arteries and increases our risk for cardiovascular disease. Not good!
At least one of your daily eight to ten movement breaks should be a calf and foot stretch. I love the one modeled by my hubby in this post. You might also keep a tennis or golf ball under your desk and roll your feet around on it as you work.
When you are on your yoga mat, you can lengthen the muscles at the back of your legs with poses like Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Big Toe Pose), Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose) and Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend).
Of course, I have to mention that a full yoga class and two yoga break videos designed specifically to lengthen the muscles at the back of the legs opened in the Yoga for Desk Jockeys series over at Stay-at-Home Yoga today. Check ‘em out – you’re legs (and back, and heart) will thank you!
I spend less time sitting at home than I did at work, but still probably too much! When I worked retail I had to stand all day long. I lost a lot of weight that way, unsurprisingly.
My dad sits at a computer all day for his work, and he has set up his computer to lock up for five minutes every hour. He can’t override it (or, I suppose he could in an emergency, but he disciplines himself not to), so it forces him to get up, do some stretches and walk up and down the hall for a few minutes before going back to work. His doctor suggested he do it for his health, but he says it helps his work, too, to give his brain and eyes a break so he can go back refreshed.
It really is amazing how much we sit, even when we don’t have a “desk job,” Katie. I LOVE your dad’s system. That is wonderful, and I agree completely – taking breaks is good for our body and our work product!
I’ve been using a “standing desk” now for a week and my back feels so much better at the end of the work day. It’s taking some getting used to, and I need to take breaks through out the day, but it’s amazing. I would recommend this to any desk jockey!
Derek, why don’t you write a guest post about it. Tell us about your set up and what the adjustment has been like. We’d love to hear!
I love Katie’s dad’s idea too. I want to figure out how to do that on my computer at work!
Commute: 30 min
Work: 8.5 hours (and honestly, I don’t get up to take a walk for any significant length of time. I do occasional yoga, but not regularly.)
commute: 30 min
evening crash on the couch: 2 hours
Ugh! 11.5 hours!
I know it’s hard when you have to work at a computer all day. I don’t even have that excuse, but I still find myself sitting a lot! Joye, I’d love to hear how you like this series after you’ve done some of the classes and yoga break videos!
I spent roughly 5 hours sitting today (assuming that I stay seated until bed time). I was surprised it was that long! I’m on my feet (or kneeling, crawling, and sitting cross legged in the floor… Is that sitting?) for most of the day except when driving and eating. My big chunk of sitting time happens once my toddler goes to bed. I crash on the couch with a sleeping baby in my arms to watch tv and catch up on emails, Facebook, and reading.