Does your job have you sitting most of the day?
First Place: Daily Activity
Second Place: Strength Training
Third Place: Mobility
If your work day involves you pretty much sitting all day every day, then you are surrounded by many many many other awesome people stuck in the same position. Yes, a walking pad under your standing desk would get you moving and help you feel a bit better.
Then again, that can feel like a lot.
Even just adopting a standing desk seems like a leap if you have not already been using them. So let’s just start from the place that you will be sitting going forward. So where are your opportunities.
And is sitting really the new (well, allegedly new back in 2017 or so) smoking?
No sitting is not the new smoking. However, sedentary lifestyle is. Just because you fall into one of those categories does not mean you need to fall into the other too.
Sedentary lifestyle could likely be defined as getting fewer than 5,000 steps per day on average. And, if most of your days involve you waking up, shuffling around the house, driving to work, sitting at work, then driving back home to shuffle and sit some more, then your step count likely falls under 5,000 steps a day.
But if that same person added an evening walk or jog. And/or found a way to workout or to do a similar activity 2-3x per week, they would find themselves moving north of that 5,000 step minimum.
FIRST PRIORITY
The first priority for you is to simply increase your activity. Fight to get above 5,000 a day. If you are close to 5,000, see if you can add another 1,000. The studies that get referenced so often (and were used to build the original FitBit marketing campaign) regarding daily steps state the window to be between 8,000 and 12,000 steps a day on average in order to reduce the chance of dying from the most common health related deaths (heart disease, diabetes and other metabolic conditions, cancer, etc.).
SECOND PRIORITY
Your second priority can help you achieve the first priority. If you find a way to get any strength training done during your week then you will almost inevitably get more steps in on those days. And, important to note, daily activity includes anything that requires you moving your body. Daily steps is just something we can easily track. So if you are in a gym, or in a class, or in some other activity that has you moving, even if you are now walking or running around, you can be confident you are still adding to your daily activity for the day.
THIRD PRIORITY
Your mobility will immediately improve when you begin moving more and growing stronger. But using mobility drills and exercises can help areas of the body that currently hurt to start feeling better.
TIPS:
-Focus on consistently attending workouts - What happens in those workouts does not really matter until you are consistent so do not put pressure on yourself to go fast, or lift heavy. Just get yourself to show up. Then you will see what you like and you’ll naturally start to lean into those things which will make your workouts more enjoyable.
- TikTok and Walk (on a treadmill, not in the wild) - Your brain wants dopamine from trash content, your body wants to move. Give them both what they need. You can get the full value of your gym membership if you jumped on a treadmill on a moderate incline and at a comfortable pace for 30 minutes most days.
- Use Accountability
- Pay for Accountability - if you are not a natural gym goer, then I would really encourage you to either hire a trainer or join a group fitness workout. Having people who want to see you show up will help keep you going until you become more comfortable. Then, once you have some momentum, you can decide to do it on your own, or stick with what is working. You just have to be able to start with consistency and paying someone can help do that.
- Use who you have around you - Challenge your partner or your coworkers. Whoever averages the least amount of steps across the week loses and must pay the price. Maybe winner gets to pick where to eat or the loser has to buy. Be creative. But if you do this each week then y’all will push yourselves to get those steps in at every chance.
- Get strong by doing things you can enjoy or learn to enjoy - Sure, you can literally strength train. Go to the gym or hire a trainer to teach you how to lift heavy. But for most of us, so many activities would still count. You’ll increase your strength doing pilates. You’ll increase your strength joining a boot camp or group workout gym. You’ll increase your strength doing knee push ups at home with your kids.
The only thing required to increase strength is to push whatever you are trying to get stronger to the point of being challenged, and then resting. Do this consistently over time and you will build great strength. So find a way you enjoy. That is the only way you will be consistent.