Or do you SHINE your way to better health?
To help Baby Boomers and older adults enhance their wellness, get strong, and stay independent, I’ve developed my 5-step Shine system!
Last week I explained “S”: Start by laying your foundation. You must know where you want to go, and more importantly, why you want to get there, before you figure out how you’ll make your health journey.
This week we’ll talk about “H”: HARNESS THE POWER OF MOVEMENT, because the easiest way to start increasing wellness is to begin decreasing sedentary behavior.
Sedentary behavior, or sitting time, has become a public health problem. We now spend prolonged periods of time sitting or lying down–computer use, screen time, television watching, or commuting.
According to Dr. James A. Levine, director of the Mayo Clinic/Arizona State University Obesity Solutions, we currently sit for 13 hours a day, sleep for eight, and move only for three.
The New Smoking
The problem is, our bodies are built for movement. Up until 100 years ago, our ancestors engaged in agricultural activities, sitting for only a few hours daily. But life has changed. We no longer have physically-challenging jobs, the energy we expend on household tasks has dropped significantly, and we’re addicted to our smartphones!
Unfortunately, when you stop moving for a number of hours, it’s like telling your body: time to shut down and prepare for death! On the other hand, if you’ve been sitting for a long period of time and then get up, a number of molecular cascades occur. For example, within 90 seconds of standing, you start pushing blood sugar and fats out of the bloodstream and into the cells to be used for energy. All of these effects are started just by carrying your own bodyweight, and if done regularly, can greatly decrease your risk of diabetes and obesity.
Investigators have documented additional health risks of sitting: heart disease, cancer, dementia, depression, back pain, and higher risk of dying from all causes.
In fact, the World Health Organization reports that approximately 3.2 million deaths each year are attributable to insufficient physical activity.
What You Can Do Now!
List at least five activities that keep you on your bottom for extended periods of time. These could be computer time, FaceBook time, phone time, commuting, working Sudoku or crossword puzzles, reading, or television watching.
Now brainstorm and write down five ways to get yourself up every 30 – 60 minutes.
Here are five ideas to get you started:
1) Become less efficient. If you’re still working, print to another office, use the upstairs restroom, or hold “walking” meetings. At home, fire your housekeeper and gardener, and get moving!
2) Embrace your work break time. A full-time employee has at least 60 minutes of free time each day–a gift for movement! Get your buddies involved and stroll on a regular basis.
3) Seek out the stairs instead of elevators and escalator.
4) Get creative with indoor walking. Many malls now welcome walking visitors and indicate the distance per “lap”–in year-round, air-conditioned comfort.
5) Move more throughout the day! Walk your dog, clean a room, carry groceries, play with your kids or grandchildren. Or just pretend you’re a child and do the things we ask them not to do: fidget, tap your toes, stand on one foot and then the other when standing in lines, or dance…just don’t stay still!