The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 6
Studies have shown that an alert body and active lifestyle boosts not just productivity, but also happiness and satisfaction levels. There is now an explosion of research studies that demonstrate the harmful effects of sitting all day, which I have covered in past blog posts.
- the impact on muscles (in part 1)
- the general impact on the body (in part 2)
- the impact on your heart and the increase risk of cardiovascular disease (in part 3)
- the increased risk of certain cancers (in part 4)
In my last blog post, “Taking a Break“, I explored the reasons for taking a break and looked at the latest research on the length of break you need to take and the frequency.
So now I want to focus on strategies to get you moving…
Use an Exercise Ball for a Chair
Unlike sitting in a chair, sitting on a exercise ball engages your core muscles and helps improve your balance & flexibility. Occasionally bouncing can also help your body interact with gravity to a greater degree than sitting on a stationary chair.
Use the Stairs
Walk up and down stairs, rather than take the lifts. Even if you only walk up or down one flight of stairs and then take the lift the rest of the way it will have a positive impact on your health.
Walk & Talk Meeting
If you have an informal meeting with a colleague why not suggest a walk & talk meeting, weather permitting you could always go outside and get some fresh air too!
Pedometer
Using a pedometer will help you asses how many steps you take throughout the day. Taking a roundabout way to your desk, taking the stairs or walking to the next tube station as part of your commute will help you increase the number of steps you take daily.
Exercise while you Sit at your desk
An Amercian start up company, FitnessCubed, has come up with Cubii, an under-desk elliptical trainer that allows you to do basic exercise while you sit at a standard office desk. (It requires no changes to your existing desk set up.) They have also produced a mobile app that allows you to track your workout and you can also share your work out results – so you could even hold an inter-office competition.
Related Posts
Natural ways to reduce anxiety – Part 6
My final tip on reducing anxiety is to try chamomile. Chamomile is a herb with a long history of use. A cup of chamomile tea is a common home remedy to calm frayed nerves and promote sleep. A 2009 study showed chamomile may also be a powerful ally against generalized anxiety disorder. The study found people who took German chamomile capsules (220 milligrams up to five times daily) had a greater reduction in scores for tests that measure anxiety symptoms than those who were given a placebo. A more recent trail, much longer term trail reported similar results and noted that the treatment was safe with only a few mild side effects. References https://nccih.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/040310.htm Amsterdam JD, Yimei L, Soeller I, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral Matricaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2009 ;29(4):378–382. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Long-term+chamomile+treatment+for+generalised+anxiety+disorder.-a0503569379
Reflexology may reduce the intensity of migraines
Migraines affect twice as many women as men and are experienced by one in seven people in the UK. (Migrane Action, 2018). Reflexology could be a beneficial treatment for people who are experiencing migraines a recent study suggest. A randomised control trial was conducted with 75 male subjects who all had a nitrogylcerine induced migraine-type headache. The subjectes were divided into three groups. The first group received 20 mins refleoxlogy while the second group received an ineffective foot massage (a placebo) and the third group no intervention. Three hours after the first treatment the subjects received a second treatment. Data on pain intensity was created before the first treatment and after the second treatment. The results showed a statistically significant reduction of headache intensity in the reflexology group when compared with both other groups after treatments. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30028477
Natural treatment for cold sores
A common treatment for cold sores is antiviral cream called aciclovir. A new randomised controlled trial of nearly 1,000 adults with cold sores where they either applied aciclovir cream or medical grade New Zealand manuka honey to the cold sore. There was no significant difference in the time taken for the cold sore to heal:
- 8 days for aciclovir cream
- 9 days with New Zealand medical grade manuka honey
