Did you know that the average American sits for almost 10 hours a day? Sitting for more than 4 hours has been shown to lead to reduced metabolic rate, disrupted sugar levels, and increased blood pressure. In turn, these traits can lead to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, backaches, and depression. All things we should try to avoid!
So, how can you reduce your chances of getting any of these side effects? Just take 10 minutes!
Every hour to two hours, make it a priority to walk for 10 minutes. You can walk outside, you can walk around the office a few times, you can walk in the parking, just wherever! Grab a coworker, listen to a podcast, or walk in silence. When you take 10 minutes to walk, you are doing more than just reducing the amount of hours you sit at work.
Taking frequent breaks has been shown to improve mental health and clarity, improve creativity levels, reduce stress, curb your appetite, and improve your mood.
Here are some extra options that can help reduce the amount of hours you sit per day:
- Standing desks
- Desk Mounts/Risers
- Sit-Stand Chairs
- Bosu Ball Chair (still technically “sitting,” but you are engaging your core to balance!)
Need an extra boost to get you up every 10 minutes? Grab a small handful of this healthy trail-mix to eat when you get back!
Healthy Trail Mix!
- 2 C almonds
- 2 C cashews
- 1 C dried cranberries
- 1 C dark chocolate chips
- 1 C coconut chips (found at most grocery stores!)
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and transfer to an airtight container.
