Sitting is the NEW Smoking

Sitting is the new Smoking.... Sound dramatic?

Well it's real. So real that the Center of Disease Control & Prevention has a whole movement called, "Take a Stand". This movement educates the public regarding the dangers of prolonged sitting. Sitting for 8 hours or longer contributes to disease in the same way obesity and smoking do.... WHAT???

One of the greatest things you can do for your health is to make sure you move throughout the day and find ways to stop prolonged periods of sitting. Ideally moving positions at least once per 30 min.

That may seem unrealistic if you are currently sitting for hours on end even moving once per hour could make a huge difference.

I want you to make this doable and sustainable which means you are more likely to succeed if you start small. Start SUPER small and build up.

Here are a few ideas for starting small.

• Set a timer every 30-60 min that cue you to move. You can simply start with standing up do a turn and sit back down
• Get up periodically to do a few squats, or stretch, or do a few jumping jacks, or to do a wall sit
• Whenever you think of it roll your shoulders back, press your chest forward, and suck your belly in
• Dance to a short song every other hour
• If it is feasible get a sit to stand desk THIS IS A GAME CHANGER
• Stand and walk in place while you watch television
• Stand while you check your social media
• Make excuses to get you to stand up like putting your pens away from your desk, place your water across the room, or place your wastebasket further away
• Utilize your smart devices to keep track of your steps and challenge yourself to increase your steps (Even 100 more per day will help)

REMEMBER start small and build up. You are more likely to be successful at movement if you start small and build up slowly as you go. ANY MOVEMENT is GOOD MOVEMENT!

So what is your next best step?

*I really want you to win at this so use the realistic truth meter the..... Confidence test. Set a specific, measurable, and actionable goal then ask yourself, "How confident am I that I can complete this goal on a scale of 1-10 (1 being not confident at all to 10 being the goal is as good as done). If you are below a 7 I encourage you to rewrite the goal so that you are more confident.

I AM ROOTING FOR YOUR SUCCESS! Karla

If you like to listen to your information here is the link to my podcast episode SITTING IS THE NEW SMOKING

For more information about the dangers of sitting CLICK HERE