![Sitting Pretty the movie, Sit less]()
How to Sit Less with No Stress
Sit less. Easy to say; harder to make happen. No doubt you already know sitting a lot contributes to weight gain. Not just total time spent sitting, but uninterrupted “Sitting Pretty.” But do you know why? And how to work in movement breaks and less sitting? Are you finding yourself spending many hours at a computer, desk, or tv wondering how to find time to be active? Do you look at your cell phone in disbelief that you have been sitting for a loooooong time with no break? We have some fitspiration tips for you. Besides — “oy, stand up already!”
Sitting Does Not Compute
Even for us, we find it a challenge to pull ourselves away from the computers blogging about living actively as boomers. Fitness irony, right? There’s always one more email to answer or that quick post to enter. Next thing you know — wham! Sitting on the Dock of the Butt for hours on literal End!
Can you handle reading about leaking fat cells? Then read to the end. Ewwwwww.
Uninterrupted Sitting Time is the Worst
Total sitting time is making us fat, but Uninterrupted Sitting Time is even Worse
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First some realistic suggestions on how to sit less and move more:
- Set a timer on your computer, watch, or cell phone to remind you to get out of the sitting position. Ideal is to stand up and move about every 20 minutes. Shoot for at least once every 60 minutes at a minimum.
- Get an app to nag, motivate you to get up, stretch, stand, walk about — something; anything! (Fun Fit Fact: Midlife women comprise the biggest purchasers of fitness and health apps. Who says we aren’t techno savvy??!!)
- Create an inconvenient work or tv watching environment. For example, don’t use remote controls to watch television. You want a volume or channel change? Gotta get off your duff. Need a certain notebook to finish a post or computer document? Store your notebooks (pens, files, rulers, whatever you need on a semi-regular basis) away from your computer or desk. No cheating by rolling over to the notebook if your work chair has wheels. You have to actually stand up.
- Drink a lot of water. Are you with me? Yes, as we walk together to the bathroom. (Then leave me in privacy, please).
- Place snacks and drinks anywhere but within reach. You want it bad enough, you’ll get up.
![Liberty dog sit less]()
Would this face motivate you to sit less and walk (the dog) more? Barkalicious and walkalicious
- Get a dog. Say Whaaaatt? Yes, if you have a dog, you will have to take breaks from sitting to let your wonderpoochie in and out. Your dog will need walks, play time, attention, fresh water, more food. See all the opportunities to get up, even if just for a minute or two?
- Read two of our prior posts : “Love Exercise; Work is a Pain Though,” and “Seated Posture: Part 6” You’ll especially enjoy the comments from the former. Let us know if you laughed a bit too.
- Buy a standing work station and actually work on it. Don’t count this as specific workout or exercise time especially if you are in nice work clothes you don’t want to sweat up. Approach time on a bike/ desk or treadmill/ desk as Not Sitting Time. For more on how and why to go this route, click now on this link to Fitness + Desk = FitDesk (no, we were not compensated to add this in. It’s just good stuff. And sorta humorous too)
Total Time Sitting: Do You Need Motivation or Education?
Sitting Pretty and that’s no Sitting Bull!
If your challenge is finding exercise time with all the sedentary work you are laboring under, ponder this: If you are not reaching your goals, it boils down to only two reasons – either not enough Motivation or Education. Motivation you have to get from yourself; Education is coming at you live in the next paragraph without further commercial interruption (unlike the sitting interruption we are aiming for. Oops that was a break right there).
Education About Leaking and Multiplying Fat Cells Will Motivate You Not To Sit Too Much!
Short version of what’s going on inside your body as you sit and sit and sit.
Your preadipocyte cells (pre-fat cells waiting in the wings) turn into full-fledged fat cells faster and in greater number when the body is “actively inactive.” That means you are working at being sedentary for hours at a stretch. Existing fat cells reload with more fat as well. Insert loud horror movie scream here!
Fight for Your Right to Move More
When muscles — such as glutes, in this case — are in a stretched position for an extended time, the cells in those muscles “leak” and “drip” lipids. Yes, that’s another word for “fat.” The weight of the body increases lipid production via a process called “mechanical stretch loading.” For those who like the science behind growing behinds, read these two articles on sitting causing fat gain. Brace yourself for the educational story about fat cells lurking and invading our muscles as we innocently plunk our hinies in one spot too long. Believe me, you will be motivated to sit less after reading the research results.
ACTION: Are you sitting as you read this? We thought so. Time to stand up and subscribe so you can enjoy moving more, sitting less, and aging actively. Enter your email in any of the subscription boxes; claim your bonus while you’re at it.
Kymberly Williams-Evans, MA
The post 8 Ways to Sit Less; Move More appeared first on Fun and Fit: Active Aging Answers for Boom Chicka Boomers.