Your body is meant to be active, so when you sit for too long, it shuts down and burns less energy.

By comparing the lifestyles of previous generations to our own, researchers discovered that the rise of technology had altered our lives for the better and the worse. A hundred years ago, most people didn’t sit at work. They may have had agricultural-based lifestyles or did other tasks that involved standing and moving. Today, we drive when we would have walked or biked. We sit in front of a screen when we would have shovelled, nailed or carried. And all of our discretionary time is spent in front of a computer or television screen. Adults of working age in England average about 9.5 hours per day of sedentary time.

Research from Stanford University found a lack of exercise, not diet, linked to the rise in obesity. The average day is a blurred haze of work, commuting and relaxing at home. And most of that time is spent comfortably seated. Unfortunately, there are health consequences associated with our fondness for sitting- it is linked to weight gain, obesity, diabetes and heart disease– all due to an illness experts call sitting disease.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60 to 85% of the population worldwide does not engage in enough activity. Having a sedentary lifestyle can slow the body’s metabolism to a crawl. Hour upon hour spent sitting means your body’s tissues, organs and metabolism aren’t engaged and metabolic activity stalls. The longer you sit, the less efficient your body’s systems become.

Reducing your risk for sitting disease is simple. There is no gym membership or expensive workout gear required. The answer is to look for opportunities to reduce and frequently break up your sitting time. But it’s not just any exercise that will combat the effects of sitting. Exercise can be split into daily non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) such as walking, carrying shopping, cleaning, and exercise – which refers to structured training sessions such as running or going to the gym.

We will delve into both types of activity, exploring how they can be incorporated into your working week. It’s time to be a Movement Opportunist! Our body adapts to our lifestyle, and getting consistent activity throughout the day keeps your metabolism humming along in gear. Join us in a high-energy session to get you moving and achieve the optimal balance of movement and exercise throughout your day. We will get you motivated to achieve your 10,000 steps a day!

Key learnings:

1. Understand the importance of getting up and moving during the day
2. Learn to incorporate more movement into your day through exercise and non-exercise activities