WHAT:
This habit is about reducing the amount of time you spend sitting each day. It’s not just about exercise; it’s about being less sedentary overall.
WHY:
If you’re looking to be fitter, stronger, and healthier… then sitting is NOT the way to do that.
Even if you go to the gym for 1 hour a day, 7 days a week… If you sit on your butt behind a computer, in the car, at a table, on the couch, or in your bed for the remaining 23 hours of your day then you are STILL sedentary!
Spending less time sitting can make weight loss easier and weight gain harder, it’s linked to a longer life and decreased risk for disease, and it provides unique benefits that exercise cannot.
While sitting less might seem simple, it’s not always easy to do. That’s why it’s worth deliberately trying to build the habit of sitting less throughout the day.
HOW:
An easy way to raise your awareness around how much you are sitting versus standing is to set a simple reminder on your phone to remind you to stand up..
We recommend standing up and moving around for at least 1 minute every hour during the workday (and after that too if possible).
Once an hour is great, but if that’s too much then try every 2-3 hours to start with.
Many smartwatches and fitness trackers have built-in monitors that track how much time you spend moving versus sitting and give you prompts to stand up and move around if you’re too sedentary.
TIPS:
✅ Place sticky notes or set digital reminders where you’ll see them often, like on your computer or fridge.
✅ If you’re in an environment where you can do this, try out some kind of standing desk to make sitting less the default option, even if it’s only for a few hours at a time.
✅ When you do stand up and move, enjoy the feeling. Take a moment to appreciate how different your body feels compared to when you’re slumped in a chair.
✅ Make a game out of it by deciding that you have to stand up and move around for at least 1 minute before you check your email or social media.
