By user:Amoruso, edited by me, user:was a bee (Image:Bear-standing-zoo-jerusalem.jpg) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
No really. Stop reading and stand up. I’ll wait right here.
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Welcome back. Doesn’t it feel good to simply move your body a bit? Human beings weren’t meant to spend much time sitting. Our biology is tailored for hunting and gathering and otherwise moving around throughout the day.
Alas, these days many of us spend a LOT of time sitting. Instinctively, we *know* this isn’t good…and more and more research is showing just how bad this is for our bodies.
People who sit for eight or more hours a day with have the same risk of dying as people who smoke! A sedentary lifestyle slows metabolism and raises blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. It increases the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The more we sit, the less long we live.
So what’s a busy DaVinci to do? It’s challenging enough to juggle our multiple ideas, projects and talents — without also fretting about the bodily harm we’re incurring for every hour we sit.
The good news is that it’s easy enough to counteract the damage. If you find yourself sitting for hours at a time, try any of these proven techniques:
* take short physical breaks every hour
Set a timer to go off every sixty minutes. When it goes off, this is your cue to stand up and move your body for one minute. Stretch. Touch your toes. Walk down the hall and back. Fetch a glass of water. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do anything other than sitting.
If you can swing slightly longer mini-breaks, consider recent research that shows huge health benefits of interspersing six five-minute walking breaks throughout your day.
* find ways to stand while you work
If you spend a lot of time using your computer, find a way to do at least some of your work in a standing position.
Standing desks are becoming increasingly popular…but if that’s not practical for you, search your immediate environment for a shelf, counter or other surface that’s the correct height for you to work comfortably.
* assign different activities to different locations
Is there a way to separate particular activities? If your printer is in another room, for example, then any time you print something, you’ll stretch your legs en route to fetch your output.
* stand or pace when you are on the phone
If you spend a lot of time on the phone like I do, then this is a good one: use a headset or bluetooth device so you can be mobile — especially for long calls or phone meetings. Make a point of standing up whenever you take or place a call — and staying on your feet for the duration. If possible, pace.
* use a stability ball instead of a chair
If you must sit, sit actively. Sitting on a stability ball engages your core and lower body.
* walk
This is implicit in some of the preceding posts, but the health benefits of walking can not be overstated. Walking is easy, free, and can be done indoors or out. If you can’t get outside, walk around inside.
* use your imagination
Devise creative ways to spend less and less time sitting down. You’re a creative person — now apply your amazing brain to benefit your body.
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Are you struggling with too many talents, skills, ideas? You may have The DaVinci Dilemma™! Find tools, fun quizzes, coaching, inspiration and solutions for multi-talented people at http://www.davincidilemma.com/ .
