~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~
As we all know, writing isn’t an athletic activity.
Those of us who devote hours at the computer are likely to suffer the consequences, and that often includes extra, unwanted pounds.
They come from all those hours sitting, not only when you’re writing, but when you’re commuting, working at the office, and watching television.
How to counteract it? Daily exercise is critical, but according to a recent study, there’s one other thing you can do:
stand up more often.
Researchers discovered that spending more time on your feet during the day—which could include a standing or convertible standing desk—is not only better for your overall health than sitting all the time, it might actually help you lose some weight.
They analyzed over 46 studies involving more than 1,000 people, and found that standing burned 0.15 calories more per minute than sitting. That may not seem like a lot, but if you add it up, it can make a significant difference to your daily calorie burn.
Six hours of standing, for example, could burn you an extra 54 calories a day. Keep that up for a year and you could lose 5.5 pounds. That could counteract the “slow creep” weight gain that most people experience as they age, which could be significant for your health.
Do keep in mind that standing all the time isn’t the answer. Too much standing can cause problems too, like circulation issues, heel pain, and leg pain. (Read, “How to Set Up the Best, Pain-Free Healthy Writing Space.”)
Your best option is to stand for a while, then sit for awhile. Back and forth. If you don’t have the equipment that allows you to do this, it’s worth investing in some!
For ideas, see the following posts.
Source
Traci Klein, “Standing Several Hours a Day Could Help You Lose Weight, Mayo Clinic Research Finds,” Mayo Clinic News Network, January 31, 2018, https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/standing-several-hours-a-day-could-help-you-lose-weight-mayo-clinic-research-finds/.