Rebecca
Carey Lyles
I’m
sitting in a chair as I write this, but I shouldn’t be. Why? Because a recent
Swedish study concluded we need to move every few minutes to maintain our
health. So, I just stood up, touched my toes five times and did a couple
lunges. Now, I’m back at it. ☺
The
Swedish study, combined with others, found that lack of movement is harmful to our health. Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk of
the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University, says,
“Sitting is a risk factor, not a
disease. It's comparable to obesity, and it's almost to the level of smoking.” Dr.
Joseph Mercola of mercola.com writes: “Mounting research suggests that even if
you exercise regularly, you might still succumb to the ill effects of too much
sitting.” What are those ill effects? Heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease,
stroke, shortened lifespan... Shortened lifespan? Yikes!
For
years, we’ve been told regular exercise leads to improved health. If you’re
like me, you’re thinking, I exercise
every day for at least half an hour. Isn’t that enough? Evidently
not—because, as the authors of the Swedish study point out, no matter how
vigorously we exercise, that burst of exertion only involves a tiny portion of
our 24-hour day. Dr. Mercola explains the problem by quoting David Dunstan of
the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia. He says the lack of muscle contraction caused by
sitting decreases blood flow throughout our bodies, thereby “reducing the
efficiency of biological processes.”
I
hate to say this, but housekeeping is good for us, as are washing cars, raking
leaves, mowing lawns and tending gardens. Your house may be spotless, like mine
(just joking…), and your hubby mows the lawn; plus, he takes the car to the
carwash. What can we do around the house (or the office) to move our muscles?
Dr.
Mercola sets an online timer to ring every 15 minutes. He takes a 30-60 second
standing break and may do stretches or squats or posture exercises. If your
house or building has stairs, you could run up and down a couple times and do
some calf stretches—or heel stretches on one stair. Those with wood or tile
floors might slide or skip around the house (or the office, if you’re daring).
Sweep
your front porch. Do jumping jacks on your deck. Set your laptop or tablet on a
counter and work while standing. Use a door frame to stretch arm and shoulder
muscles. Yoga moves and isometric exercises are also great options. Even standing and rolling your head from side
to side can be beneficial.
In
nonmedical terminology from a nonmedical person, I think the idea is to keep
our blood flowing. Remember, writers’ brains crave fresh blood as much as our
muscles do. Stand up, stretch, march in place, sit down and write!
SOURCES
About Becky:
Rebecca
Carey Lyles grew up in Wyoming, the setting for her Kate Neilson novels. She currently
lives in Idaho, where she serves as an editor and a mentor for aspiring
authors and as a coach for women transitioning from prison to life on “the
outside.” Her most recent book, Winds of Freedom, is the sequel to
the award-winning first novel in the Kate Neilson series, Winds of Wyoming.
She recently served as an editor and contributor for a short-story collection
titled Passageways, which is
scheduled to release next month.
About Winds of Freedom:
Winter
storms blast across the Whispering Pines Guest Ranch, and a cold wind blows
through Kate Neilson’s soul. Despite her pain, Kate’s well-being takes a
backseat to the needs of loved ones: her best friend, who’s been ensnared
by evil; her failing great-aunt, whose dementia care keeps Kate guessing;
and Laura and Mike Duncan, whose ranch and livelihood are threatened by a
land-grabbing neighbor.
Connect
with Becky:
beckylyles@beckylyles.com
Facebook:
Rebecca Carey Lyles
or
Becky Carey Lyles
Twitter:
@BeckyLyles
