An average human spends at least 10 hours a day doing sedentary activities: watching TV, surfing the Internet, talking on the phone, reading and manning the desk. Because of the lack of time, they end up doing nothing towards the physical fitness of their body. But they should realise, that all of this sitting still can make diabetes harder to control.
Women who sit for prolonged periods of time are more likely to have increased insulin resistance and chronic inflammation. The more you sit, the worse it gets. Many studies found that adults who sit for 11 hours or more on a daily basis have a 40 per cent greater risk of dying in the next three years than people who spend less than four hours a day in a chair.
We have listed 5 ways for you, which will not only help you stay fit but would also aid at breaking the monotonous routine of your day.
1. Hook a pedometer onto your body
Studies show that when people are keeping a track of their steps, they tend to walk more. You can even get into a friendly competition with a spouse or coworker to rack up the most steps in a day or a week. There are dozens of inexpensive but reliable pedometers available in affordable prices.
2. Don’t waste commercial time
While watching TV, get up and do a minute of jumping jacks or a minute of knee raises every time a commercial comes on. Many research show that men and women ageing between 18 to 65 years, who stepped up during commercial breaks burned an average of 148 calories while those who are sitting burned only 81 calories.
3. Be inefficient
Do you have loads of laundry to haul upstairs or downstairs? Take one basket, or handful of clothes at a time. Do you have groceries to carry in from the car? Don’t tote them all at once. Deliberately break up daily tasks so you make multiple, frequent trips.
4. Do all your own household chores
Clean the house, mow the lawn (don’t use a riding mower!), rake leaves, and wash your car by hand. Reaching, twisting, stretching, lifting it’s all a calorie burn. Instead of using a mop on your floors, try using some elbow grease. You can burn about 180 calories in just 30 minutes.
5. Get up often from your desk
Move more at work by standing during meetings or holding a meeting while walking. When time permits, deliver your message in person, not via email.