Sitting is simply a big part of our lives. We sit at meals, while driving, and at work. That’s already significant and it’s not accounting for our relaxation and entertainment time. The Center for Disease Control reports that one in four Americans sit for 8 hours or more a day; with most of that sitting taking place at home in the evening. The challenge is, long periods of sitting are associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and early death (University of Leicester, 2012). So let’s make a plan to interrupt sitting.
Short Breaks with Light Activity is the Solution
While we may be limited on how much change we can make toward the total number of hours we sit each day, we can break up our sitting to pause the negative effects. Exercise significantly decreases our risk for developing and dying from many diseases so we’ll include light physical activity during these breaks. We’ll avoid high intensity activity before bed, as it could increase our heart rates and body temperatures too much for good sleep.
Bonus: A July 2016 study by the University of Otago found that light activity for every 30 minutes of sitting improved sleep. This is important because insufficient sleep is associated with type two diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the same health challenges as prolonged sitting. So we’ll improve our chances for better sleep as well.
A Simple Plan to Interrupt Sitting
Each of the exercises listed below can be done with a small amount of space. They can even be performed without interrupting your favorite show. To begin interrupting sitting, perform 2-3 minutes of any combination of the following exercises for every 30 minutes of sitting. Imagine a scale of intensity from 1 to 10; 1 being almost no effort and 10 being your greatest effort possible. Perform these exercises at your idea of a 3 or 4 on this scale.
Calf raises | Walk in place or around the room |
Chair squats | Standing knee raises with hip extension |
High knee march in place | Single knee drives |
Choose one of the 1-minute interval combinations below to use today. During those long periods of sitting, set 30 minute reminders. Chime and Mindfulness Bell are two applications that can help with this. You may also be able to simply use your cell phone. With each alarm perform one of the 1-minute interval combinations below.
1-Minute Interval Combinations
- A. Calf Raises – 1 min, Chair squats – 1 min, High knee march – 1 min
- B. Walk in place – 1 min, Chair squats – 1 min, High knee march – 1 min
- C. Single-leg knee drives R – 1 min, Calf Raises – 1 min, Single-leg knee drives L
Disclaimer
Please be advised I am not a medical professional and the suggestions given in this post should not be considered medical advice. Rather, my goal is to assist you in developing strategies that result in sustainable behavior change. Be sure to consult your health care professional before beginning any physical routine.
Sources
European Society of Cardiology. (2009, May 12). More Evidence For The Benefit Of Exercise In Cardiovascular Disease — And Even In Heart Failure. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090508045316.htm
University of Leicester. (2012, October 15). Sitting for protracted periods increases risk of diabetes, heart disease and death. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121015090048.htm
University of Otago. (2024, July 16). Evening activity for better sleep. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240716202259.htm