I found an interesting article on MSNBC: Why your desk job is slowly killing you. And an interesting info-graphic:
Although I disagree with the unscientific way the infographic presented its death and obesity statistics, I think the lesson is very clear:
Sitting for long hours is very bad for your health, regardless of how much exercise you do.
How can we deal with this, given that most modern jobs (including research jobs) require you to sit most of the time (even worse, in front of a computer)? There are several solutions, which I plan to implement:
- Take frequent breaks, during which you stand up from your chair and walk around for 5 minutes, preferably outdoor.
- Drink a lot of water: not only water is good for you, it also forces you to move from your chair to refill your bottle and go to the restroom.
- Stand while working as much as possible. You can use a stand-up desk or somehow raise the surface of your desk. Even better, move your feet while standing-working, e.g. using a treadmill desk.
I think the key point is to sit less and balance the amount of time when you sit and that when you move/stand.
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