Our Homo Sapiens ancestors were on the move all day long; gathering fruits and berries, collecting firewood, building shelters, fleeing or hunting. Today, however, many people are sedentary for a large part of the day. If, like most people, you spend the majority of your day in a sitting position (commuting, working in an office, watching TV), evidence shows that this prolonged inactivity actively PROMOTES chronic diseases, EVEN IF YOU ARE VERY FIT. In fact, studies are increasingly highlighting that prolonged sitting can reduce lifespan even for those who exercise regularly. In other words, one or two hours a day at the gym cannot counteract the accumulated ill effects of sitting eight to twelve hours a day [1].
Movement and exercise boost your brain health, release endorphins, which make you feel happier, make you look and feel younger, improve skin, shrink your fat cells and help you recover faster from chronic diseases.
Here are today's tips on movement:
• Standing is better than sitting. Take a closer look at your day and find ways to stand up and/or move more.
• Avoid sitting for longer than 50 minutes out of every hour. Stand up. Move around for a few minutes before sitting for the next 50 minutes.
• Combine high-intensity training (HIT) and non-exercise activities like walking, aiming for 7,000-10,000 steps a day. There are even apps to help monitor this! Walking should be in addition to, not a replacement for, a regular fitness regimen. However, if you are not doing any exercise, walking is a good place to start. AVOID SITTING whenever possible.
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