You’ve probably heard some research suggesting  sedentary life is the new smoking referring to the growing epidemic of sedentary lifestyles. 

Most of us who now work remotely have really fallen prey to this. The heart foundation shared a research from 2019 (pre pandemic)  that the average adult sits for more than 8 hours a day and is active less than 20 minutes every day. How scary is that!

What personally worries me is that this was pre-pandemic when remote working existed but it wasn’t as common as it is today. 

So how sedentary are we:

So what are the stats telling us in relation to how sedentary we are:

• Nearly half (49%) of employed people aged 18-64 years described their day at work as mostly sitting.
• Nearly one in four (24.5%) people aged 18-64 years met the physical activity guidelines

So what happens when we sit for too long?

Research tells us that even if you exercise but spend a large amount of time sitting, you are still risking health problems, such as metabolic syndrome. Which is a collection of conditions which often occur together. These are…

• Weight gain can take place as your body’s ability to process fats is slowed.  When you sit, your body’s production of lipoprotein lipase (an enzyme essential for breaking down fat) drops by about 90%.  When your body cannot break down fat, it is stored instead.
• Sitting for extended periods of time regularly may lead to insulin resistance which can cause type 2 diabetes and obesity. Sitting for too long increases the risk of diabetes by 112%
• The chances of heart disease increase as the two major factors that cause heart disease are obesity and diabetes. So it increases the risk of heart disease by 147%

And in addition to metabolic syndrome it can also cause…

• Anxiety and depression – Physical activity releases dopamine (happiness hormone) a lack of movement may actually increase the risk of anxiety and depression.

The latest research suggests you need 60–75 minutes per day of moderate-intensity activity to combat the dangers of excessive sitting.

But instead of trying to combat sedentary activities with intense workouts daily. I want to share with you how you can avoid the epidemic of sedentary lifestyle with wellness lifestyle habits.

Some tips If you head to the office

• Use the stairs instead of the lift or escalator, or at least walk up the escalator.
• Stand on public transport, or get off one stop early and walk to your destination.
• Go for a lunchtime walk with colleagues
• Have a walking meeting when no presentations are required
• Stand up while you read emails or reports.
• Move your rubbish bin away from your desk so you have to get up to throw anything away.
• Use the speakerphone for conference calls and walk around the room during the calls.

And if you actually work from home often and barely move…

Perhaps, you can wake up 60 minutes earlier than what you currently do and go for a walk each morning. 

• Have a walking meeting when you are not presenting.
• Set a reminder on your phone to get up and stretch every hour
• Walk around when you’re on the phone.

Now, you’re probably thinking… thanks Aleyna but what if it’s raining cold and miserable weather…

Don’t let bad weather stop you from being active! You can do body weight exercises such as squats, sit-ups, and lunges.

You can also try indoor activities such as:

• dancing
• swimming at an indoor pool
• yoga
• Pilates
• Head to the gym for a run on a treadmill

Other than ensuring you shift from sedentary to a wellness lifestyle which has significant health benefits such as preventing heart disease, diabetes and weight gain.

The health benefits of physical activity can also…

• Improved sleep.
• Increased ability to perform everyday activities.
• Improved cognitive ability and a reduced risk of dementia.
• Improved bone and musculoskeletal health.

PLUS, physical activity may help our immune systems protect our bodies from infection and disease.