5 Tips for Living Longer

It’s January and almost everyone’s thoughts turn to living a healthier lifestyle!  People are flooding the gyms and looking for weight loss plans.  Just check the covers of most magazines. Weight loss ads have taken over the TV commercials. It’s all about getting fit.

I’m a firm believer in moderation and becoming healthier by making tweaks, a little at a time, in one’s diet and exercise routine.  We didn’t get unhealthy overnight and it takes some time and effort to get in shape.

As a blogger, I’m sitting at my computer for long periods of time.  Sometimes I get caught up in what I’m doing and hours pass before I realize it.  That’s not good.

I’ve read several reports lately about how bad sitting for long periods of time is for you.  It can raise your risk of heart attack, diabetes (or as Wilford Brimley says, Diabeetus) and shave off years of your life.  Oh, no!  But this is not a gloom and doom post, I promise!  And we all want to live a long, healthy life, right?

I’ve been consciously making sure that I move more and sit less.  And, no, I didn’t get a stand up desk!  That’s just way weird to me, but I haven’t actually tried it, so who knows?  Mike Loosemore, a sports doc at London’s University College Hospital said, “Standing for 3 extra hours a day, five days a week, burns 30,000 more calories a year.”

Source:  Amazon.com

Nor did I invest in a treadmill desk.  But I have done a few things that are helping tremendously.

5 tips to Living Longer and Moving More

1  Step away from the computer every 30 minutes and do something physical.

My aim is to walk and/or cycle at least 5 times a week.  As I get older, the law of gravity is not my friend. So I try to do everything to counteract that hateful law!  And don’t forget weight training!  Let’s Get Physical by Olivia Newton John is racing through my mind!

Even when I exercise, sitting all day is not good.  Set a timer for 30 minute intervals.  Make yourself get up, go to the bathroom or walk to the kitchen and grab a glass of water to stay hydrated. It gives your eyes a break, too.

2.  Do a few squats every time you get up from your chair.

A study done at the University of Alberta found that “taking more than 10 activity breaks a day was associated with a lower waist circumference, lower triglyceride levels, blood pressure, glucose, insulin and systolic blood pressure, and higher “good” HDL cholesterol.”  

3.  If you work from home, do a few chores during your breaks.

Do a load of laundry. Sweep the floor. Go outside and get some fresh air. Even if you don’t work from home, you may be spending way too much time sitting in front of the TV in the evenings.

4.  Do a few jumping jacks during commercials.

If you do jumping jacks on a regular basis, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your legs will get toned!

5.  Walk around your house while talking on the phone.

If you wear a fitbit like I do, you’re aiming for at least 10,000 steps a day.  Checking my progress always encourages me to get more steps in.  Sometimes I’ll just walk or jog in place for a few minutes to get those steps in.

Do you sit at a desk all day?  What tricks do you use to make sure you don’t sit for long periods of time?

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