As soon as I read Grady Libertini’s piece, The Evolving Workspace, I couldn’t help but reflect upon a situation that impacted my life 10 years ago.
I remember sitting at my office desk at home working on a manuscript for a book revision when I looked up to find my wife glaring down at me as she stood in front of my desk.
“You’re sitting too much and you need to get up and move,” she uttered with firm voice accompanied by uncompromising body language. However, her well-intended advice did not resonate with my behavior.
After all, my background in exercise physiology and health certainly prepared me to display a self-confidence that supported my work habits. Furthermore, I articulated in a very clear and concise manner that I had a five-mile workout prior to assuming my usual position at my desk. That workout alone was enough, at least in my mind, to proceed with my daily work routine knowing that I earned the right to sit at my desk for as long as needed to meet my work goal for the day, so I thought.
Not a few weeks passed when I was confronted again by my wife. But this time, she placed a copy of the New York Times Magazine over my source notes with the strong recommendation that I read the article facing me. Little did I know that within a matter of minutes, my life would begin to take a new direction regarding my attitude about working at a desk for hours without taking a break to get up and move.
The article focused on the research of Dr. James Levine at the Mayo Clinic, in which he found that sitting for long periods at a time negated the benefits of my morning physical activity. Although having no training in the exercise sciences, my wife’s perception about my physical inactivity and its accompanying harm proved to be accurate. Little was I aware that
something as simple as standing at my desk could prove extremely beneficial.
Thus, Libertini’s piece in this issue is a must read as he expounds upon the research that reinforces the idea that not only movement, but also something as simple as standing at one’s workspace can help reduce the risks of obesity. According to Dr. Levine, standing instead of sitting will result in burning 30,000 calories per year, which equates to losing nine pounds.
Recent data indicate that excessive sitting may also play a role in promoting the onset of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and even dementia. Stand up for better health by reducing the amount of time you spend sitting.
