Whatever You Do, Don't Just Sit There

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We all know that sitting for long periods of time is bad for our health, but did you know that simply standing up a few times an hour can help combat the physiological ills of sitting? Gretchen Reynolds, the New York Times Phys Ed columnist, has a new book called The First 20 Minutes which shows how simple changes--like taking a standing break at your desk--will help your overall health. General advice says that you need to get your heart rate up (like by jogging or lifting weights) to do your body any good, and many people are too busy to get to a gym or carve out time for prolonged exercise, so they simply give up. This book shows you how to get over that hump and take small steps to help your health.

Reynolds was recently on NPR's "Fresh Air" program to discuss her book and her findings. You can read more about it, or listen to the entire audio interview here: http://www.npr.org/2012/05/09/152336802/stand-up-walk-around-even-just-for-20-minutes. You can also find an excerpt from the book at that link.

As the article notes, "Studies have shown that frequent standing breaks significantly decrease your chances of getting diabetes, [Reynolds] says. "If you can also walk around your office, you get even more benefits. You will lose weight, you lessen your chance of heart disease, and you will improve your brain. But if you can do nothing else, stand up!"