According to Science Daily, "Studies have linked prolonged sitting with health concerns such as heart disease, cancer, depression, diabetes, and obesity. Research shows that breaking up long periods of sitting with movement at least once an hour reduces those risks, while regular exercise at other times of day does not."
In other words, you can't make up for that long session of sitting by going for a jog or a walk later.
Since writers tend to spend long sessions at the keyboard, it's a risk particularly applicable to us. Here are some suggestions for how to make sure you get up and move for at least a minute or two every hour:
- Use an app on your phone or smartwatch. Mine reminds me with a silent (vibrating) alarm and keeps track of how many times in a day I get up for at least a minute per hour.
- Use a similar app on your computer. Some offer badges when you stick to the break schedule, or make it part of a simple game.
- If you have Alexa or the equivalent, give it the task of reminding you to stand at the start of every hour.
- Link it to something you do frequently. If you keep a bottle of water handy, stand up to drink from it, or make some of your phone calls while standing.
- Break down the task you're working on into chunks that you think will take about an hour each and get up and move in between each chunk.
The bonus is that moving around a bit may also refresh your brain. For even better results, when you stand up, take a few deep breaths and stretch.
