Is sitting the new smoking?
The rise of wearable technology continues to be a powerful eye-opener for sofa surfers and gym junkies alike. In 2010 a paper from the American Cancer Society was published demonstrating the direct correlation between length of time sitting and increased mortality - REGARDLESS of physical activity levels.
Women who sat for 6 or more hours per day had a 37% greater risk of death than women who sat less than 3 hours per day and men who sat for 6 or more hours per day had an 18% greater risk of death than men who sat less than 3 hours per day. These results were identical even after adjustment for leisure time physical activity levels (aka gym goers).
Learn to walk before you run
Outdoor movement is like medicine for an out-of-conditioned body, if you currently can’t; cycle 10km, swim 250m or run 5km without stopping then at this stage what you do EVERYDAY is more important than worrying about an exercise schedule. Start with our minimum daily movement requirement = 45/10/2.
> Move every 45minutes
> Spend at least 10 minutes outside per day
> Increase your heart rate at least 2 times per day.
Step 1 - Move every 45minutes
NEAT Hourly Movement for Mitochondrial Health
NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis aka movement. Adding additional movements into your day like; walking 10,000 steps a day, squatting 10 time before sitting down, parking at the back of car parks, using the stairs, doing counter top push ups, fidgeting at your desk or completing morning movement routines like this priming routine are proven to dramatically improve your mitochondrial health leading to increased energy levels, increased fat burning potential and an improved lifespan!
Watch the video below to find out why:
RECOMMENDED PRACTISE: Set a movement alarm to notify you every 45 minutes, when it goes off, walk a flight of stairs then come back to your desk and enjoy the increased burst of energy and productivity!
Step 2 - 10 minutes outside daily.
Being outside (especially in nature) is proven to increase focus, creativity, resilience, sleep quality and mental wellbeing. From 2004-2012 Japanese officials spent over $4million dollars studying the physiological and psychological effects of ‘forest bathing’. The studies show being outside especially surrounded by trees lowers; cortisol (our stress hormone) blood pressure, resting heart rate, depression and anxiety giving us a greater sense of mental and physical wellbeing.
Being outside in sunlight also means our bodies have the opportunity to top up on vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, teeth and muscles!
RECOMMENDED PRACTISE: Escape your workplace for a 10-minute lunchtime walk. No matter how busy you are you’ll quickly catch that time up with the increased energy and focus generated from getting outside and moving in the fresh air.
Step 3 - Raise your heart rate twice a day.
Our lymphatic system is located just below the skin. Its main role is to clear the body of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials. An inefficient lymphatic system struggles to eliminate toxins from the body. If waste products are not eliminated there is a danger they can be reabsorbed back into our blood supply causing additional stress to our body.
Crazy fact: We have three times more lymph fluid than blood, however unlike our blood supply, the lymphatic system has no organ to pump it - you are the pump. The more you move, the more efficient your lymphatic system will become. The more efficient your lymphatic system is the less sluggish you will feel as you’re literally carrying less c**p around!
RECOMMENDED PRACTISE: Shake rattle and roll - Try our 4-minute blast below or simply include more jumping, skipping, running and rebounding. If that’s too high impact for you at the moment you can also try walking flights of stairs, dry skin brushing, massage and of course make sure you stay hydrated.
Key Points Summary
1. Move your body every 45 minutes to reap the benefits of NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) and boost mitochondria health.
2. Spend at least 10 minutes outside daily - yes even if it’s raining!
3. Do something that raises your heart rate for at least 2 minutes to move your lymphatic system and support toxic elimination.
Thank you for investing your time educating yourself! The world needs more pro-active people like you!
Pip & The DayOne Team.
Educate yourself first. Empower others through your actions. Exceed together.
For more tips on how to leverage wellbeing to live your best life, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter here.
