Effects of sedentary lifestyle include obesity

In decades past, having a “desk job” was a good thing.  It meant that you had moved up the employment food chain and graduated from the factory floor (or from farm labor) to enjoy the benefits of a more sedentary lifestyle.

It turns out that having a sedentary job is a mixed blessing.

Americans are getting fatter than ever, and new research targets the rise of a sedentary workforce as one contributor to the epidemic.  Here’s how the New York Times covered the story.

Here are some coping strategies to offset the negative effects of sitting down for a living:

• Stand at your desk or computer, at least for part of the day.  You can prop your computer screen and keyboard up.
• Sit on a chair that requires that you engage your postural support muscles.  Here’s an example.
• Walk around the block at lunch time.
• Take the stairs, not the escalator.
• Get a headset; when you have to make a phone call, get up and walk around the office while you’re talking.
• Watching your kids’ soccer game on Sunday?  Walk around the perimeter of the field.

Basically, just get moving and keep moving.

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