HEALTH
As a physical therapist, I like exercise. I help people restore mobility and reduce pain, much of the time through the use of exercise. We need movement and exercise to live and to be healthy. From what I’ve seen, it seems to pretty much only be adult humans who sit still for hours on end.
Unfortunately, some aspects of modern life significantly cut down on how much we move. As technology offers more opportunities to avoid physical activity, we get weaker. If everyone’s jobs and hobbies involved a lot more movement, we wouldn’t become as stiff and weak as we age. However, I know I can’t simply recommend that people part ways with their sedentary jobs and hobbies.
Computers aren’t about to leave the work place. Video games aren’t going to stop being fun. Netflix is going to keep making good shows. And winter is probably going to keep happening every year.
The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes/week of “moderate intensity aerobic activity.” However, they are also noting that regular exercise still does not cancel out the increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which are associated with prolonged periods of not moving.
It really is the long chunks of complete sedentariness that we need to address. I’m not intending to downplay the usual “get out and move” advice. That is still good advice. A lot of modern work and hobbies don’t inherently require movement, but human beings do. That’s why I suggest adding movement and variety into everyday tasks, simply for movement’s sake. Here are some random ideas:
1) Try using a treadmill/standing desk (trial a cheap one made out of a box on your desk)
2) Kneel for a little while at your desk (on padding)
3) Sit on the floor in different positions while watching TV
4) Move around the room during a conference call
5) Sit in your chair backwards like AC Slater from "Saved By the Bell"
6) Crawl on the ground to play with your kids (or cats)
7) Stand on a balance pad while you do your dishes
8) Check your email/phone lying face down
Some of these are clearly arbitrary things that I’m making up. But that’s kind of the idea. Listen to your body and avoid pain, but try to add new diversity to your daily movement. No one position or activity is a magic bullet.
I know that some of these suggestions fly in the face of “good ergonomics” for work. A Google Images search of ergonomics yields a bunch of similar pictures about how you should set your desk up. In a way, the implicit question is this: What’s the best position to stay in for 40 hours a week? Could a nutritionist help you pick one nutrient to eat all of the time? I don’t think so. You simply need more than one nutrient. And your body needs more than one position.
AHA Journal: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000440
