Rule 2: Standing meetings and lunches. Instead of sitting at a meeting, encourage colleagues to discuss issues standing up. For lunch, go out and eat standing or on a park bench. Even 20 minutes of standing in the middle of the day lowers blood sugar by 20% compared to sitting.
Rule 3: Elevate your laptop. Place your laptop on a stack of books or a box so the screen is at eye level. This will allow you to work standing. Start with 15 minutes of standing per hour. Gradually increase. Many Australian companies are already purchasing adjustable desks—talk to your boss; it’s in their best interest: healthy employees work better.
Furthermore, it’s important to offset sitting with evening activity. A University of Glasgow study found that just 20-30 minutes of brisk walking or light jogging per day reduces the risk of premature death from a sedentary lifestyle by 75%. This could be a walk with the dog, vigorous cleaning of the house, or dancing to music. You don’t need to go to the gym. Just move.
A Brisbane tabloid reader (45, accountant) said, “I was sitting for 10-12 hours, my back hurt, my belly was growing, I felt like an old man. I set a timer for every 45 minutes – I’d get up and walk around the office for 5 minutes. My colleagues laughed at first, then they joined in. After a month, my back pain stopped, and the heaviness in my legs went away. I got my cholesterol tested – it dropped without medication. It works.”
To make it easier to remember, doctors have come up with the “three twenties rule”:
Every 20 minutes, gaze into the distance for 20 seconds (for the eyes).
Every 45 minutes, move your body for 2 minutes.
Every evening, walk for 20 minutes.
Start tomorrow. Set an alarm on your phone for every 45 minutes. When it goes off, get up. Stretch. Walk around. Your telomeres will thank you. And remember: no wrinkle cream will rejuvenate you as much as giving up chronic sitting. Movement is a free elixir of youth.
