Mindful Movement

Movement Vs. Sitting

In one corner, we have our physical bodies. We’ve been moving as nomads and hunter/gatherers for thousands of years. We then had an agricultural revolution where we were moving as we tended our farm. Working was more labor-intensive and required more physical movement.

In the other corner, we have the luxury of sitting. Within the last century, motorized transportation became widely used. In addition, technology has created sedentary jobs, and a vast part of our day is spent sitting while commuting to work, at work, and then resting at home.

Round 1

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans spend roughly 100 hours per year driving to work. How long do you drive to work? Perhaps you work from home? If you drive more than 20 minutes to work, less than the average American one-way commute, or if you work from home, movement wins. If your commute is greater than 20 minutes, sitting wins.

Round 2

Bonnie Berkowitz and Patterson Clark of the Washington Post state that the average sit time at work for most Americans is 8 hours. What do you do? Perhaps you work in retail, construction, or as a Disney performer. If you sit less than 6 hours at work, congratulations, movement wins! However, if you work in an office, driving, or flying folks around, chances are you are sitting more than 6 hours at work; if that is the case, sitting wins.

Round 3

After a long day, we simply want to relax. You’ve earned it! How do you relax and unwind? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans average 5.3 hours of leisure time per day (4.8 hours on weekdays and 6.5 hours on weekends and holidays), and more than half of that is spent in front of the television. Most leisure time involves sitting. Active rest, like sports and exercise, averaged 37 minutes per weekday, compared to the whopping 156 weekday minutes spent watching TV. If you exercise for more than 30 minutes, whether morning or evening, movement wins. If you love TV or reading in a cozy spot, sitting wins.

Studies have shown that excessive sitting is associated with various health concerns. In Sitting Vs. Standing: Why Movement Boosts Our Health, Dr. T. Jared Bunch, MD says, “In an interesting new study from Australia, researchers recognized that excessive sitting time is associated with worse health. They asked if replacing sitting with standing was sufficient. When people replaced two hours of sitting a day with standing, they had changes in these important heart disease risk factors:

• Two percent lower blood glucose (blood sugar)
• Eleven percent reduction in triglycerides
• Six percent lower total cholesterol
• Higher levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), by 0.06 millimoles per liter (mmol/L)

“This suggests that just by increasing how much you stand during the day, you can greatly impact risk factors for heart disease.”

What can we do to help move a little more? Below you’ll find a list of 10 possible habits and routines that you can create to alleviate some of your sit time and still allow yourself to enjoy your much-earned TV time.

1. Think about your commute. Can you ride a bike or walk to work? If not, try parking in the farthest, shadiest spot around. You can give your legs a nice walk and keep your car cool while doing so.
2. Do you work upstairs in an office building? Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
3. When at work, try standing or going for a 5-minute walk each hour. Try walking to a farther bathroom or water cooler.
4. Stretch your chest while reading emails. Clasp your hands behind your back and puff your chest forward and allow your shoulders to melt. Read your emails and release the sitting slouch.
5. While on a call, pace or walk. Another option is to stand and alternate lifting each knee.
6. Consider walking or standing meetings. It is likely your coworkers are also sedentary. Perhaps propose a meeting while walking.
7. Move your trash and recycling cans far away so you’ll have to get up to toss something.
8. Meet a coworker in the building face to face instead of emailing or calling.
9. Get a height-adjustable desk so you can stand as much as possible.
10. Be creative! Think of ways you can promote mindful movement in your life and let movement become the champ!

Natalia Foote is the owner of threeR, a company bringing mindfulness, meditation and yoga practices to the workplace. Her mission in life is spreading love and light in the world. When not spending time with her family, you can find Natalia taking and teaching yoga all around Lake Nona.