5/10 Thursday Day 10 SLBC: Up Every Thirty
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themedalist
Posts: 3,215 Member
Theme: Up Every 30!
There are 3 strategies to keep in mind if you want to make sitting less a lifestyle change. Selecting and practicing your “One Thing” is an example of the first strategy:
1. Find and implement changes in your daily routine that will result in you sitting less and moving more. Look for ways to do the things that you want or need to do, but modify them so that you are sitting less.
My hope is that Boot Camp will be just the beginning and that after you've made your one thing a habit, you'll add another thing, and another thing, to your daily routine.
Today let's practice Strategy 2:
2. When you sit, make it a point to get up and stretch or move around for a couple of minutes every 30 minutes.
The total amount of sitting we do throughout the day has a big impact on our health, but so does how long we've been sitting at any one time. If you've been sitting for more than an hour, that's a long time!
Public health experts recommend getting up after 30 minutes of sitting. It doesn't have to be a long break: simply standing up and stretching a bit should suffice. I make it a goal to stand up every 30 minutes, and use my Fitbit's hourly reminder as a prompt to walk for a few minutes every hour.
Today's Challenge: Focus on getting up out of the chair every 30 minutes throughout the day. Besides....we hardly burn any calories when we sit. Minimizing how much you sit will help you achieve your weight loss goals.
And please tell us, what strategies you used to remember to get up and move throughout the day. Please share your tips and help others sit less.
Alternative Challenge: Drink more water! Get into the habit of getting up frequently to refill your glass or water bottle. Drinking more water has many health benefits and it's one of the simplest ways to sit less.
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There's more and more evidence that sitting is dangerous — here's how to counteract it
An excellent summary published this week about how sitting impacts your health. What to do? Best research-based advice is to stand up, stretch, or move around after 30 minutes of sitting and shoot for two hours out of your chair every workday.
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-sitting-sedentary-lifestyle-is-so-bad-for-you-2018-5
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I think it will only be a matter of time before Fitbit (and other activity trackers) makes it possible for us to change how often we get the reminders to move. Taking a stretch break every hour is way better than staying seated, but it would be nice to be able to change the time interval.
The University of Missouri System has compiled a list of activity and break apps. The list was compiled in 2015 and I'm not sure it's been updated since then. But it might be a good starting point if you are looking for reminder apps. Here's the link:
https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/wellness/activity_and_break_apps
Looking forward to hearing how today's challenge goes for you!2 -
It's like you're reading my mind @themedalist I was just talking about how I need more water and I've got a buddy helping me with that. And I make it a point to get up and move every 30 mins. Well, I try. Sometimes I'm in the middle of a call or another assignment that keeps me planted, but I get up as soon as I can and get some movement in
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MmamabearR wrote: »It's like you're reading my mind @themedalist I was just talking about how I need more water and I've got a buddy helping me with that. And I make it a point to get up and move every 30 mins. Well, I try. Sometimes I'm in the middle of a call or another assignment that keeps me planted, but I get up as soon as I can and get some movement in
I’m the same way, @MmamabearR. Sometimes when I’m really focused on something, I don’t want to interrupt what I’m working on. I think the 80/20 rule applies to sitting breaks as well. If most of the time you take regular breaks from sitting, your health benefits. Let go of worrying about the other 20% of your time.
You mentioned awhile ago that you no longer need a reminder...your body reminds you that it’s time to get up and move. I’ve seen the same thing in myself. Movement breaks have become a daily habit.
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Wow, I had no idea there were so many apps out there to help us move. Those are amazing, I'm going to do some more research on them and get one for me. Thanks for sending us the link!!
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Wow, I had no idea there were so many apps out there to help us move. Those are amazing, I'm going to do some more research on them and get one for me. Thanks for sending us the link!!
It is a great list, isn't it @starjam25? For Apple users, I would add to the list: Move Your App. That was suggested by a participant in a previous Boot Camp and it's a great app. I always learn new things every session we do.1 -
Yesterday's challenge was difficult for me because I don't have an activity tracker (yet), so I rely on my phone to track my steps and log my food diary. I did put my electronics down, though, and ended up sitting & reading a book (too long) on my deck. Oh well, at least I was enjoying our gorgeous day of sunshine!
BTW, I just downloaded a habit-forming app called "Fabulous" and it seems to offer great potential. It allows for the creation of a personalized series of linked habits (using morning, afternoon, and evening routines) and provides insight, motivation, and reminder options. I'm not certain how much is available with the free version, and I'm also not sure yet whether it syncs with any activity trackers--which could be very useful!4 -
I like the up every 30 idea. Even when I can't get in my 250 steps, I can certainly stand up every 30 minutes. Right now I'm on a road trip which means a fair amount of sitting, but I'll try wiggling every 30 minutes.
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Yesterday's challenge was difficult for me because I don't have an activity tracker (yet), so I rely on my phone to track my steps and log my food diary. I did put my electronics down, though, and ended up sitting & reading a book (too long) on my deck. Oh well, at least I was enjoying our gorgeous day of sunshine!
BTW, I just downloaded a habit-forming app called "Fabulous" and it seems to offer great potential. It allows for the creation of a personalized series of linked habits (using morning, afternoon, and evening routines) and provides insight, motivation, and reminder options. I'm not certain how much is available with the free version, and I'm also not sure yet whether it syncs with any activity trackers--which could be very useful!
Thanks for the tip about Fabulous, @talers. I’m going to check it out.2 -
I record most of my shows and instead of fast forwarding the commercials, I use that time to stand up. I no longer read books because for me that requires seating so I downloaded Overdrive and I listen to them instead. Fitbit helped me a lot in terms of getting me to move more.3
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prgirl39mfp wrote: »I record most of my shows and instead of fast forwarding the commercials, I use that time to stand up. I no longer read books because for me that requires seating so I downloaded Overdrive and I listen to them instead. Fitbit helped me a lot in terms of getting me to move more.
Excellent ideas for sitting less, @prgirl39mfp. I will have to check out Overdrive. I felt the same way about reading books... that it was causing me to sit too much. But getting e-books on my iPad has changed that since I can now read them while walking slowly on my treadmill. For me, having a good stable treadmill that is always accessible has been the most effective way to sit less and move more.3 -
themedalist wrote: »I think it will only be a matter of time before Fitbit (and other activity trackers) makes it possible for us to change how often we get the reminders to move. Taking a stretch break every hour is way better than staying seated, but it would be nice to be able to change the time interval.
The University of Missouri System has compiled a list of activity and break apps. The list was compiled in 2015 and I'm not sure it's been updated since then. But it might be a good starting point if you are looking for reminder apps. Here's the link:
https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/wellness/activity_and_break_apps
Looking forward to hearing how today's challenge goes for you!
This is great! I was thinking how great it would be if I could set a reminder somehow on either my Outlook at work or on my phone to remind me every 30 minutes to stand up. I just downloaded Stand Up! from the apps store on my iPhone, and then I realized I still have Move Your App from last year. How could I have it and not be using it? My Bad!
I'll try them both and see which I like more and then pick one.
I'm also going to check out Fabulous on my iPhone also!1
