If you want to extend your lifespan, just move! You don’t need a formal training program, although they do provide a wide assortment of exercises for your entire body and all types of fitness. Adding more movement to your life, whether it’s just getting up and walking for a few minutes or doing a jumping jack or two every ten minutes, can boost your longevity. Studies show that people who move more have better cardiovascular and metabolic function. In fact, inactivity is up at the top in number four position of preventable deaths. Obesity is number one and everyone knows that inactivity can lead to obesity.
You may be surprised to find you need to move more even if you do workout.
Sitting and inactivity is the enemy when it comes to good health. People who sit the longest have increased risk for diabetes and heart disease. Ironically, even fit people increased their risk of an earlier death if they sat for long periods. One study showed that sitting for six hours straight wiped out all the benefits you reaped working out regularly. That can explain a lot of things for those who find they have a serious condition, yet they ate healthy and worked out regularly, but were in a job that required prolonged sitting.
How much sitting is too much sitting?
If you’re at the computer or working at your desk for hours on end, you know that can’t be good. But did you know that sitting longer than fifty minutes every hour is too much. Sitting longer than three hours a day may be far too much too. A standing desk is one answer to the problem. Take it slowly. Don’t expect to be able to stand the whole day if you’ve previously sat during your work hours. Start with just ten minutes at a time and build on that.
Some jobs don’t have the potential for standing or moving frequently.
If you’re driving a truck, standing impossible—or at least super dangerous—while the truck is in motion. To make matters worse, it’s even tough to pull over every 50 minutes if you’re on a time schedule. Driving truck comes with such a risk of obesity that there are now many insurance companies starting programs to help drivers. For situations where people can’t get up and exercise 10 minutes every fifty minutes, a brisk workout when they stop is important. One group recommends working out 15 minutes every stop or mandated rest. Another says just a four minute workout is enough. No matter what, moving more when the opportunity arises is extremely important.
- Moving more doesn’t necessarily mean a tough workout. Just walking more every day can get your blood circulating and improve your health.
- Not only does walking more reduce the potential for death among obese individuals, it also reduces the potential for death among smokers.
- If you’re chronically sitting on the job, you’ll definitely do your body a favor if you do have a program of regular exercise. While you do need more movement throughout the day, if it’s impossible to get, a workout program supplemented with walking on your day off helps.
- The older you are, the more important moving frequently becomes. Adding walking to your daily routine and doing a few minutes of simple exercise throughout the day will help you stay healthier longer.