Ditch the Desk

In 2015, my doctor expressed concerns about my health. I was overweight and my liver was paying the price. The most common cause of fatty liver disease in Canada is obesity (according to www.liver.ca). To be honest, I ignored her comments for a good six months hoping that she was mistaken. I also felt that I was not that much overweight and it would work itself out. As I came to the acceptance that I am just one of those people who carry their weight in their belly (the danger zone), along with the onset of 2016 and a new year of good intentions, I finally kick-started a healthier living focus.  It took work and discipline but I finally reached a healthier weight. I started by making changes to my diet and moving more. I work in an office environment at a traditional desk job and it was slowly killing me. I still work under the same circumstances but I have made small changes that are making a huge difference in my life and health.

In September of 2017, a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine identified that there is a “direct relationship between time spent sitting and your risk of early mortality of any cause, researchers said, based on a study of nearly 8,000 adults. As your total sitting time increases so does your risk of an early death.” (https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/11/health/sitting-increases-risk-of-death-study/index.html). The American Heart Association (AHA) notes that “being physically active is important to prevent heart disease and stroke, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 5 killers.” and Dr. James Levine director of the Mayo Clinic at Arizona State University says, “Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.”

I’m not going to rehash all of the studies and websites on the subject here (okay, I just did but I’m not going to belabor the point) but I am going to offer you these suggestions that have worked for me. I made minor changes to my daily activities to make this work and I am feeling better because of them. Feel free to also learn from some of my mistakes below.

Just Do It!

When I finally decided that I needed to add exercise to my lifestyle, I had no idea what I should, or could, do. I was overweight and lacked discipline and motivation. The only option seemed to be to start with the treadmill collecting dust in the basement. It was free, indoors and slow enough that I would not die trying. It was also winter in Canada so getting outside seemed like a risky proposition. 

Track Your Progress

I had a friend who had some success walking and tracking her steps with a step tracker so, in a prior moment of ambition, I had asked for one the previous year. I found it again and started walking. I went very slowly at first. I was so incredibly out of shape that I got winded quickly. The AHA recommends that you take 10,000 steps a day so I set that as my goal. I would not recommend that to start. I should have worn the step tracker and assessed how many steps I take in a usual day and then set goals to get myself up to 10,000. I launched right into the full 10,000 and nearly gave myself shin splints. Start slowly. If you go too quickly, you might quit before you have a chance to see the benefits. You can also track your steps on your phone or through other apps.

Get Proper Equipment and/or Gear

I would not recommend starting a workout routine without determining the appropriate footwear or other attire required. I started walking on the treadmill and then outside with high heels (I know, I know) or casual sneakers and not actual runners. In addition to shin splints, I apparently over-pronate which causes my foot to roll in and somehow wreck my knee. I suffered for a few months assuming that was a normal pain that came with physical activity before I got proper running shoes. As for equipment, I happened to have a treadmill at home but the beauty of walking is that you can do it anywhere.

Find a Friend

I was fortunate that, as I started my journey to healthy living, I had some friends do the same thing. It was so much better to have a buddy on the journey that helped encourage my healthy eating but also challenged me to get out and go walking. The time spent walking goes much faster when you are catching up with a friend rather than hoping you are getting all of your steps in while trudging along. It is also good if someone else is holding you accountable. It is easier to skip a walk on your own than when someone is texting you to get together or waiting for you outside. I did find that my newly-found competitive nature started to get the better of me. My tracker ranked my friends and I started to obsessively compete with their scores. I nearly killed myself trying so I had to reduce my friends on the tracker (not in real life) and just focus on my own goals and progress.

Once you get comfortable walking, you and your friends can evens sign up for weekend run/walks. There are plenty of opportunities to give back to charities while bonding with friends or co-workers. I walked in both a Mother’s Day run and a couple of fundraisers for cancer. These add up to full on ‘feel good’ moments for both your health and charities of choice, if you can get past the early morning start to these races on weekends.

Take a Break

Prior to getting healthier I would drive to work and sit at my desk, walk to a meeting and sit there, go back to my office and sit while working through lunch, and so on. I didn’t take breaks during the day and I didn’t take breaks at lunch. To ensure I got the steps in I wanted, I started walking before work, during the day, over the lunch hour and then also in the evenings. I found that I was actually more productive if I took a quick break to stretch my legs and clear my mind during the day.

No Short Cuts

Prior to my new healthy lifestyle, I was quite possibly the most physically lazy person I’ve met. I would get as close to my destination as possible when driving and I would take the most direct route to get there when I had to walk. Once I started trying to walk more, I started taking the long way. At the mall or the grocery store, I park at the end of the parking lot so I get more steps. If I need to go to the photocopier or kitchen, I take the long way around. Heck, if you need something from the printer or kitchen, I’ll make that trip for you. When time permits, I use the stairs instead of elevators.

Get Smarter

The New Yorker ran an article in 2014 called “Why walking helps us think”. The author points to basic changes in our chemistry. “When we go for a walk, the heart pumps faster, circulating more blood and oxygen not just to the muscles but to all the organs—including the brain. Many experiments have shown that after or during exercise, even very mild exertion, people perform better on tests of memory and attention. Walking on a regular basis also promotes new connections between brain cells, staves off the usual withering of brain tissue that comes with age, increases the volume of the hippocampus (a brain region crucial for memory), and elevates levels of molecules that both stimulate the growth of new neurons and transmit messages between them.” So, walking makes you smarter and who couldn’t stand to be a little bit smarter? Want to read more? Follow this link: https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/walking-helps-us-think

Walking Meetings

I’m a huge fan of walking and talking. If walking helps get your brain going, it is easy to make an assumption that we can be more productive when we are on the move. I also like getting steps in while connecting with team members. I read somewhere (but cannot recall the source) that walking beside someone also makes having a difficult conversation easier. It is less threatening than facing them directly. The message delivery somehow is softened and it feels like you are in this together side by side. A 2013 CNN article spoke for the push for walking meetings. Follow this link: https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/20/business/walking-meetings/index.html

Don’t Stand for It

Studies are showing that standing alone does not necessarily negate the effects of our sitting culture. If you work in an office job, odds are that you sit for most of the day and then stand waiting for elevators to arrive, copiers to print and coffee to brew. I gave up standing still mostly in the pursuit of additional steps for my tracker but found benefits in pacing while I wait. Getting moving is the key here and you can do this in small steps to get started. I will say that the pacing does get chuckles from people who are standing waiting for an elevator but your health is worth more than the amusement it might give others. If you work in a job that does not permit you to leave your desk, dance in place or make your breaks about getting movement in. I covered our reception area one Christmas eve and took regular walk breaks around the tiny lobby without missing a call.

Get Motivated – Virtually

Walking alone can sometimes feel like a chore. Time goes much faster when you have a distraction or purpose. When I started to feel like I needed a push to do more, I started signing up for virtual challenges on my step tracker website. I could challenge against other friends or do personal challenges instead. When I wondered if I could move a little faster with a walk-trot-run mentality, I downloaded an app that intersperses a very real-sounding zombie apocalypse over your running music. I may not run for enjoyment but I will run to avoid zombies (apparently). It was so realistic that I actually ran off in a zig-zag pattern to escape the virtual threat. I do not want to know what my neighbors thought of that... I suspect there are plenty of apps out there that can get you going.

I also signed up for virtual marathons and races. You can compete in virtual runs/walks that you participate in on the honour system. You register (and pay) for the run, complete the requirements and receive a shiny medal. The trick is following through on your commitment to yourself. Just remember that you and your health are worth it!

Make Yourself a Priority

I have a fairly busy schedule but I manage to carve out time every day, to the best of my ability, to walk. The treadmill that I started using early in my healthy journey died a few months in. In desperation, I started getting up a little earlier and coming in to the office. You can find me walk dancing down the hallway if you show up early enough. I come to work, check my emails and then walk around the office floor to get some steps in before work. I have a co-worker who starts early so on the days she is available, we go for a walk in the Calgary +15 walkways (a way to avoid the weather outside in the winter). I go for a walk at lunch when I can and find that team members understand that it is a priority for me to get out for at least ? hour. If I’m in a meeting, I get up and move to stretch my legs. I pace at the elevator and take the stairs when I have the time. If I haven’t reached my step goal for the day, I’ll walk around my house tidying or jog/dance around (after all, movement is movement). Once I lost the weight and gained some ability to move more effectively, I started trying other activities to see what I was capable of. For me though, walking is my thing. I can do it almost anywhere, from dragging my luggage around the airport during a flight delay to pacing outside of my Dr.’s office killing time before an appointment. I’ve made myself a priority and you should as well.