Time is one of the biggest barriers to keeping a regular workout routine so why not fit it in DURING your workout.  It may not give you the same results as training for a marathon, but fitting small but consistent activity during the day could just save your life!

HOW?  Reducing sitting time could be your secret weapon for health!

Sitting is certainly not a rest and studies now show that it is actually an incredibly high-risk behaviour for many reasons.  Sitting:

  • Increases your risk of chronic diseases - In a survey of over 60,000 middle-aged Australian men, those who sat for more than 4 hours had a significant increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and cancer - regardless of BMI or how much they exercised.  
  • Reduces life expectancy - A study in BMJ Open, noted that reducing excessive sitting by 2-3 hours a day could increase life expectancy by 2 years.  Reducing TV viewing by 2 hours daily would bump that up another 1.4 yrs.
  • Increases risk of kidney disease - A survey of over 6,000 found that those who sat less had lower risk of chronic kidney disease.  For women in particular, cutting sitting time to only three hours reduced their risk by 30%.
  • Contributes to obesity - Obese individual sit 2.5 hours a day more than lean individuals so if losing weight is one of your goals, finding more time to move during your workout day could be more effective than ANY program you could do at the gym or purchase on late-night TV!  By simply reducing TV and computer time one hour a day, you could also reduce risk of metabolic syndrome by 30-35%.


Increases risk for mortality from all causes - A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people who sit more than 11 hours a day have a 40% increase risk of dying within three years!  that risk was lower for people who exercised 5+ hours a week, but they didn't completely elude the "sitting death-trap."

So here's some positive info and strategies!
When you're seated, you only burn about 1 calorie per minute.  By adding simple but consistent movements to that every day, you can impact your total calories burned far more than hitting the gym 3 times a week!

How is that possible?  
One study had a group that stood for 3-4 hours in their work day which resulted in an increase of 50 calories per hours for that time.  Before you write that off as insignificant, that ultimately adds up to 750 calories a week and over 30,000 calories in a year.  It's not quite so simple, but that could be like losing 8 lbs our running 10 marathons!

Another study conducted at the Mayo Clinic used activity monitors to compare people doing tasks manually versus automated - like hand-washing dishes instead of using a dishwasher.  The manual task group burned about 108 more calories daily totally over 39,000 for the year and equal to just over 11 lbs.

Tips for conditioning

  • take the stairs - you burn 15 calories, work quads and glutes and elevate your heart rate
  • push-ups waiting for coffee - upper body weight bearing is functional AND can add years to your life
  • chair dips - place your hands by your hips, shift your weight in front of your seat pan and dip down and up (watch if you're on wheels though!)
  • squat ups - weight in your heels, stand up and almost back down (again, be cautious with wheels)
  • core stability - sternum lifted, navel to spine, lean back 20° and hold; lift one foot, one arm
  • band exercises - a thera-band is an endless source for exercise options


Tips for flexibility and balance - reverse posture

  • This makes figuring out what and how to stretch easy.  Do and move the opposite way you find yourself positioned most of the day - if you stand all day, if you sit all day stand, if you lean in all day lean back.
  • scapular retraction - sit tall and squeeze your shoulder blades in and downward
  • chest stretch - stretch arms out to open chest; use a desk, wall or pause walking through a doorway with arms out on the frame
  • external rotation - any time you have opportunity, turn your palms up and thumbs out
  • hip flexor - shorten when seated, so stand, lean back, prop one leg up and back and open hip
  • seated or standing rotation - sitting tall, use the arms of your chair to rotate
  • flex your feet - lift toes up and down or tap them to balance out those tight calves


Tips for adding breaks WHILE you work

  • stand while you're on the phone
  • shift in your seat
  • WALK to talk to a colleague
  • have a walking work meeting
  • stand and sway
  • mini reflexology - slip your shoe off under your desk and roll a tennis ball under your foot
  • fidget - funny, yes; effective, yes; you can burn up to 300 calories a day just fidgeting
  • drink warm water - one German study found it increased metabolism up to 30%


Standing workstations are an amazing option.  They work on hydraulics and lift and lower with by the touch of pre-set buttons like your car seat.  Walking workstations are also gaining in popularity.  Not to worry, you don't need sweat bands or sports gear.  These treadmills are compact, quiet, set up with comfortable tabletops and top out at 2.5 mph.  

Just in case you think you might look odd or out of place standing at your workstation, you'll be in good company. Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway and Benjamin Franklin all worked while standing.  

Check out www.libbynorris.com for tips and outlines for stretching at your desk, chair workouts and seated yoga!

Looking to break out of the winter blahs and get in shape for spring!  We've put a 3-month package together for our 50-50-50 Challenge.  We've set up an amazing discount for our Canada AM viewers to access our online training site.  You can start ANY time and join our journey!

If you have any questions on how and where to get started with your workouts, contact Libby at www.libbynorris.com.  We love your feedback, questions and suggestions for segments.