Office workers beware: long periods of sitting at your desk may be a killer. Scientists have identified a new threat from our sedentary lifestyles that they call "muscular inactivity".
Sitting still for long periods of time leads to the build up of substances in the blood that are harmful to health. And exercise alone won’t shift them.
Millions of people lead sedentary lives, spending their days between car, office desk and the couch in front of the TV. While the ill effects are well recognised it has conventionally been thought that they can be offset by frequent trips to the gym, swimming pool or jogging track.
Now researchers say that that is not enough. In addition to regular exercise, office workers need to keep moving while they work, by making regular trips to the printer, coffee machine or to chat with colleagues."
One expert recommends an active five minute break from desk work every 45 minutes. This fits well with my method of "timepods"--setting a goal for what you will achieve in the next 45 minutes, writing it down, turning on a timer for that period, and when the timer buzzes, getting up and moving around a bit, if only to get a drink of water.
(Using timepods is one of many techniques you'll learn in my Breakthrough Strategy online coaching program. For full details, see www.jurgenwolff.com)