As more people lead increasingly sedentary lifestyles, researchers have found that spending long periods of the day inactive can have wide-ranging effects on health. Some use the metaphor that ‘sitting is the new smoking’ to highlight the dangers of spending many hours a day sat at desks, in classrooms or in meetings, commuting on public transport or in a car, and spending leisure time watching television, sitting in coffee shops or restaurants or doing something sedentary online. But if your job involves working at a computer or long business lunches, and your interests include movies, gaming or meals with friends, it can be frightening to think about how many hours a day you spend sitting down. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to introduce more movement into even the busiest days.
Why not moving is not natural
For six million years human beings were hunter gatherers, with bodies designed to move. But now, whether it’s travelling behind the wheel of a car, sitting hunched at a desk tapping away at a keyboard or spending leisure time curled up on the sofa with a good book, people are simply not moving as much. Blaire Palmer, from Berkshire, is an author, keynote speaker, leadership and change coach with her own business, That People Thing. She changed her life and her health when she found ways to bring more movement into her day, and is now training to become a personal trainer to help other people shift their mindset with movement.
‘People are designed to seek comfort, and it’s very easy to find comfort today in the way we live,’ explains Blaire. ‘Many jobs are largely sedentary, being paid for what you are doing with your brain rather than your body. And a lot of people equate relaxation with spending hours in front of the television or on social media.’
This problem is reflected across the world. In the UK, Sport England says that one in four people do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week and the NHS estimates that many adults spend around nine hours a day sitting. In the US, the Fall 2019 study found that 82 per cent of leisure time was spent sedentary, mainly watching television or using the internet. And the Australian Health Survey found that only one in four people aged 18-64 met physical activity guidelines, and nearly half of employed people in the same age bracket described their day at work as mostly sitting.
The sedentary impact on health
Information put out by the Victoria State Government Department of Health in Australia states that physical inactivity contributes to more than three million preventable deaths worldwide each year, and is the fourth leading cause of death due to non-communicable diseases. According to the NHS, the link between illness and sitting first emerged in the 1950s, when researchers found that double-decker bus drivers were twice as likely to suffer heart attacks than their bus-conductor colleagues, who spent their days walking up and down the stairs collecting fares from passengers. Researchers now know that sitting or lying down for too long increases your risk of chronic health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, some cancers – in fact, in Australia, physical inactivity is the second highest cause of cancer behind tobacco smoking. Those with sedentary lifestyles have a greater chance of being overweight, developing type 2 diabetes, hip and back problems and general frailty as they age. And too much sitting can have a detrimental effect on mental health, increasing depression, stress, overthinking and anxiety.
A sedentary lifestyle can also slow recovery or make some existing health conditions less manageable. Blaire was born with a progressive genetic condition called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), which damages the nerves, causes muscle weakness in the feet, ankles and legs and is progressive.
‘When I looked into my future, I saw myself needing a walking stick, then a walker, then eventually a wheelchair – just like mum before me,’ she says. But after becoming more reliant on the support of ankle braces in her 40s, Blaire decided to radically overhaul her health, eating for strength and energy, prioritising quality rest and including movement every day with strength training in the gym and daily walks. Now 55, she’s fitter than she’s ever been and her CMT is well-controlled. She says that an active lifestyle is vital to increasing your health span – which is the length of time a person can live in good health, free from chronic diseases and pain. ‘I’ve totally re-framed what healthy ageing can look like,’ she says. ‘In years to come I want to be the older lady living in her own apartment, carrying her shopping up the stairs and meeting friends for coffee, with no walking frame or wheelchair in sight!’
How and when to move
Although she does go to the gym three times a week, Blaire explains that the majority of her movement comes from the moments she snatches every day to avoid being sedentary.
‘I actively look for opportunities to move,’ she says. ‘It’s important to acknowledge that movement takes real intentional effort to do the less comfortable thing – which might be taking the stairs instead of the lift, going out for a 15-minute walk in the rain at lunchtime, or choosing a cark park further away from an appointment.’
But when it comes to your health, all these small choices can add up. The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines report recommends breaking up long periods of sitting time with at least light activity. And Dr Alan Hedge, Professor of Ergonomics at Cornell University in the US, recommends the ‘20-8-2 rule’ which is a working pattern in which every half hour spent working at a desk is broken into sitting for 20 minutes, standing for eight minutes and moving around for two minutes. This might look like 20 minutes of focused typing, eight minutes of standing to answer phone calls or read documents and taking a short walk to the bathroom, get a drink, chat to a colleague or doing some stretching exercises for two minutes. At work, standing desks and walking meetings can all help. Blaire also suggests tweaks such as avoiding scheduling back-to-back meetings, and adding 10-minute walks into your diary between them.
Not everyone has the opportunity or flexibility to drastically increase their movement at work – but your leisure time offers many more chances to get active. Taking up or prioritising active hobbies is obvious, but it could also be as simple as catching up with a friend over a takeaway coffee and walk in the park, rather than spending an hour sitting in a café. If you have a family, you could join in with kids’ clubs, volunteer to help out at after-school activities or go for a walk or run while waiting to pick someone up, rather than sitting in the car scrolling on your phone. Blaire says you can also increase movement simply by making so-called chores less efficient.
‘You might have to go to the supermarket every week, but there are loads of ways to make it more active,’ she says. ‘I deliberately park at the far end of the car park, and return my trolley to the furthest bay away, so that I have to walk further. I used to write my shopping list for efficiency, in the order of the aisles, but now I relish running back to the frozen section from the other end of the supermarket because I’ve forgotten something!’
Making movement more inviting
If you think you don’t have time to move, Blaire suggests thinking of how much time you’re spending each day sitting, and what for. ‘A lot of people turn the telly on at 7pm and stay on the sofa until midnight,’ she says. ‘Or you might be scrolling social media, or sleeping in at the weekend. The fact is, everyone has the same 24 hours in the day.’ She also challenges the idea that being sedentary is the only way to relax. ‘Being mentally tired and physically exhausted are two different things,’ she explains. ‘If you’re mentally tired, you can still move your body. In fact, doing some mindful movement, such as walking outdoors, can be just as relaxing and recharging as sitting in front of the telly – where you will probably get up after a couple of hours feeling dull in the brain, and sore and stiff in the body.’
If you’re a person who loves to switch off at the end of a long day by getting engrossed in a great book, movie or box-set, try listening to a podcast or audiobook as you go for a walk or run, garden or do chores instead. You can still enjoy escapism for the brain while at the same time moving your body. ‘Instead of scrolling social media, scroll your music playlist and plan your favourite music to move to,’ suggests Blaire.
Travel is another opportunity to move – instead of sitting around for hours in airports, see how many laps of the concourse you can do. ‘When I go to a conference or speaking event in a new city, I look at a map, plot a route and go for a 90-minute walk when I arrive,’ says Blaire. ‘It’s a great way to explore and see the sights too.’
Finally, when trying to change a sedentary lifestyle, remember that small steps matter and habit-stacking can be useful. ‘Just make one change,’ says Blaire, ‘and build it into your day until it becomes a habit. Then add something else.’
Ways to get moving
At work
- Take the stairs instead of the lift
- Walk over to speak to colleagues instead of emailing them
- Go for a short walk outdoors on your lunch break
- Offer to do the office mid-morning coffee run
- Suggest walking meetings and stand up when on the phone
- Plan breaks between meetings so you can get up and move
On the go
- Walk or cycle shorter journeys instead of getting the car out
- Park at the far end of the car park
- Get off the bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way
- Figure out if it’s quicker to walk than waiting for the next bus or train
- Suggest walking catch-ups with friends, or chat on the phone to them while moving
- Use time at airports or train stations to walk the concourse
At home
- Turn up the music and dance while you do household chores
- Spin a hula hoop, use a skipping rope or do some ironing in front of the TV
- Don’t try to carry everything up the stairs at once – do it over several trips
- Garden chores are a great way to move, boost flexibility and strength
- Treat yourself to a homecooked meal that takes time to prepare
- Walk around the room while on hold on the telephone
Indoors (because bad weather is no excuse!)
- Dance! In the kitchen… with your friends… at the club… or join a class
- Book a session at your local indoor swimming pool
- Sign up to yoga, Pilates, martial arts, squash or pickleball
- Teach the dog a new trick
- Take a group of friends indoor bowling
- For the more adventurous, try indoor rock climbing
Find out more about Blaire Palmer at thatpeoplething.com or on Instagram @blairepalmercoach