Back in March, we posted a Get Active Every Hour Challenge on our Facebook page. This challenge was to remind all of us to get up and move while being stuck at home for the most of the day. I decided to give us all another reminder of how important it is for us to get up and move every hour, because a lot of us are still working from home. Even for those who are back in the office, it is still a good reminder to move around the office and not get stuck at your desk for too long of periods at a time. I thought it would be helpful to point out some of the benefits of moving every hour!
- Lowers the risk for heart disease and type II diabetes. Studies have shown that people who sit for long periods at a time are at a higher risk for heart disease and type II diabetes, even if they exercise daily, compared to those who move around periodically throughout the day. Getting up every hour and moving for just a couple of minutes can significantly decrease the risk of these diseases.
- Decreases muscle and joint stiffness. This one is a little more obvious. The longer you sit still, the more stiff and tight your joints and muscles will get. Sitting particularly tends to make the hip flexors tight, which can limit mobility and affect balance, especially as we age.
- Increases creativity. That’s right, there are cognitive benefits to getting up and moving every hour as well. It gives your mind a chance to clear and refocus on the task. Bonus points for getting outside for a few minutes too!
Hopefully, these benefits will help motivate you to move around more throughout the work day! If you have a fitness tracker, most of them have a setting to alert you every hour to get up and move. If not, you can set a timer to go off every hour on your phone or in your kitchen if you’re at home. The key is to have the timer far enough away from you that you have to get up to turn it off!
