Welcome to the Simple Steps to Improved Health Challenge Day 19 Get Up and Stretch
Reminder to choose 1 of the first two actions to work on this week starting today or whatever day you want the week to start on for you. See Day 1 for more information about the challenge.
How Does Getting Up to Stretch Improve Health
Sitting for long periods of time day after day can impact your health and longevity. Having a sedentary lifestyle can increase risks in many areas.
The one you are most familiar with is possible weight gain due to your metabolism getting slower. That also increases risks for diabetes and metabolic syndrome because it reduces the regulation of blood sugar.
Additionally, there are increased risks to cardiovascular health because of the increased risk of high blood pressure.
Sitting a lot can also increase risks of back and neck pain, muscle degeneration, and osteoporosis. When you sit for long periods of time your mind gets cluttered and your mental health might suffer.
That is a long list of bad. It doesn’t have to stay that way.
You can still have a mostly sedentary day and increase movement a little to provide a health benefit and lowering of these risks.
All it takes is 2 to 5 minutes every hour to get up and move or stretch.
Standing does not provide the same benefits because it is in one position. The important part is the movement whether walking or stretching.
How to Take Action to Get Up to Stretch
Get up and stretch every hour for 2 to 5 minutes.
When you are sitting your muscles stay in one position for a long time and don’t want to move as easily. Additionally, movement is the best way to flush your lymph system.
Sometimes you can’t get up and walk around. So try doing some stretches at your desk. Stretching is great for stress relief and calming the mind. You can do it sitting or standing and it adds some movement.
You can stretch or walk while talking on the phone.
Move while still sitting. Bounce your legs up and down for 2 minutes. Pull your knees up one by one or both together for 20 times each. Move your feet to tiptoes or heels or both 20 times each. Take your knees out and in for 20 reps. Curl then lengthen your back.
If you are watching something and not typing then bend to each side and touch the floor or go as far as you can. Maybe do 20 arm circles forward and back.
Do any movement that feels good for your body to stretch it out and get the 2 to 5 minutes of movement into your hour. Any movement will help your body because it wants to move.
Get some good movement in every hour if you are able to get up.
Walk the long way to the bathroom or lunch.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator even just for a couple of floors.
Walk while you talk on the phone.
Park farther from the building so you get a nice walk in before driving home.
All these activities add some movement and stretch into your hour that will benefit your body and health.
Go Do it
One of my favorite ways to be reminded to get up and stretch every hour is to set that up on my fitness watch or app. It is convenient to have my watch tell me I haven’t moved enough.
1. Decide that you want to get up and stretch every hour for 2 to 5 minutes.
2. List the activities you can do for those 2 to 5 minutes when you need to stay sitting as well as when you can get up. Post your list where you can see it if you need to get ideas.
3. Set reminders up on your fitness watch, app, or phone to get up and move or stretch every hour.
4. Don’t ignore those reminders. Your body will thank you and you will feel better.
Bonus: If you are a manager in charge of a long meeting, make sure you keep those reminders and take those movement breaks in the meeting. Your team will thank you and likely have great ideas and solutions after a movement break.
