Take a stand. Or a walk.

Here's an interesting article from the New York Times on the potential problems with sitting too much.

My first reaction was, well of course sitting too much, or a "sedentary lifestyle" as we doctors call it, is unhealthy. But then I reviewed some of the actual studies referenced at the bottom of the page, and it seems that the data are of good quality, which concerns me further. Specifically, it seems that, despite eating well and maintaining a good weight and exercising at least 2.5 hours per week (at least in Australian men), sitting a significant portion of the day is still harming us. How much sitting is too much? The Canadian study actually came up with some numbers to guide us, reporting that sitting 0-25% of the time is ok, but when you get to 50% and up your risks for having heart attack and dying start to go up significantly.  

So what can we do? Well, let's start by not freaking out. This is good information, not bad. It supports our intuitive, conventional wisdoms that tell us to try to be active, that sitting in front of the TV for hours at a time, even if we are on the treadmill 30 minutes a day, is not good for us. And these reports dovetail nicely with some other studies that suggest that beyond meeting the minimum weekly exercise requirements, more is actually better.

So yes, if you can put a treadmill in your office, I say do it. Take some calls on the phone. Switch out your chair for an execise ball, at least some of the time. Park far away from your destination. Take an hour walk with a friend or loved one after dinner. Just find ways to keep your body moving, and it will keep you moving longer.