Move it!

Here’s a bit of research that had me taking a stand: According to a recent Australian study, the more time that we spend sitting on our butts, the less likely we are to have healthy measures of HDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, fasting triglycerides (a form of blood fat) and C-reactive protein (an indicator of inflammation in our bodies that’s linked to heart disease).

Well great, I thought, as I read over the study, parked in my office chair.

Fortunately, there was good news: The same researchers found that taking short breaks from sitting – even for as little as one minute – is linked to improvements in health. People who made a habit out of moving around had healthier measures of C-reactive protein and (bonus!) smaller waists.

That’s a pretty impressive stat, so it got me thinking about all the ways I can cram some activity into a single minute, or two, or three, during my work day. I came up with these:

• Walk more. I know it sounds ridiculous, but when things get busy around here, so do I. I’ve actually picked up the phone before and dialed a co-worker’s extension instead of trekking over to see her. Want to know the worst part? She sits on the opposite side of my cubicle. (Hi, Rachel!)
• Get up a few times a day to stretch at my desk. I’ve done it twice today and it feels sooo good to feel my body stretch out and get relaxed.
• Use the downstairs kitchen, bathroom, etc. Stashing my lunch in a refrigerator on another floor will give me an excuse to take the stairs. (Sorry in advance to everyone in the downstairs kitchen who doesn’t love the smell of tuna.)

It feels great to know that these little bursts of exercise can add up to better health.

What do you do to move more at the office? What about everywhere else?

I’d love to hear from you!