Move More for Better Health
There are 120 hours in a five-day workweek. If you spend 40 hours working each week, that’s one-third of your time — and 2,080 hours total per year. How much of this time do you spend sitting at your workstation? Could you be using more of it to improve your quality of life and work efficiency?
Prolonged sitting can lead to various health conditions. Two immediate effects include weight gain and high blood pressure, which are risk factors for chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Not to mention, prolonged sitting leads to back, neck and shoulder pain.
In order to combat these adverse effects and keep yourself in prehab, you must break up periods of sitting with sporadic movement. This can be done at work and at home! For example, stand up, take a short walk or stretch more throughout your day. Another great option is to aim to take 250 steps (or move for 2-3 minutes) every hour of your workday. This recommendation comes directly from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
By choosing to Move More, you will lower your risk for chronic illnesses and boost your work performance, productivity, happiness and overall wellness. Movement is medicine!
About the author
Ms. Megan Petriello is an Assistant Vice President, Assistant Team Leader and a Fitness and Wellness Specialist on the Slainte Fitness team at USLI. Ms. Petriello enjoys staying active by teaching HIIT classes, running and strength training. Ms. Petriello gets the most enjoyment from living an active lifestyle, and she is an avid believer in the power of positive thinking!