At first, the idea of organizing everything at your fingertips may sound like a wonderful organizing solution, and great for productivity, but I do not feel it is necessarily the best one. Let me explain. As I look at how much of the day I spend a lot of time sitting, in fact most of my day is at my desk. When I am not at a desk I am in meetings, sitting again. Have you heard the phrase sitting is the new smoking?
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Now I love to have everything organized in nice handy compartments on my desk, but I purposely do not have everything I need at my fingertips and I hope you do not either.
Why Having Everything at Your Fingertips is a Bad Idea
If you are at a computer for long periods of time, hopefully you are taking breaks and getting up once in a while. Did you know that many recent studies have shown that people who are more sedentary for longer periods of time have a higher risk of death? This is serious stuff. (If you want to read more about such study, click here.)Researchers found that sitting more than six hours in a day will greatly increase your risk of an early death, according to Eat, Move Sleep author, Tom Rath.
Tips to Incorporate Exercise Into Your Routine
So today I am sharing a few tips that I am trying to incorporate in my life:
- Commit to a regular exercise plan. Yes, this one is obvious, but let's face it, it is hard for some of us (raises hand) to do.
- Keep some items that you use every day in a location across the room or even better, in a different room.
- Consider getting an interactive exercise band like this one, to remind you to move.
- Use the app on your phone to record your activity (this only works if you always have your phone on you, but it is better than nothing.
- Set a timer for breaks and do something else for 15-20 minutes. Go for a walk or do something that requires movement.
If you sit at a desk most of the day, I am asking you to consider being slightly inefficient and place some items away from your work area, whether at home or at work, that it forces you to get up and move around, therefore, incorporating exercise into your daily routine. Think about what items you might be able to move to a location in a different room. By doing this, you will set up yourself for a little mindless exercise, and it will benefit your health.
What you might be losing in a little productivity, just might lengthen your lifespan.
Tamara
Very good points. I have to break up my days with walking away from the computer and being active a LOT. That's a new development, though.
Raquel
Good for you Tamara! I do too but need to do it more!
Akaleistar
Very interesting! I like to do stretches in the morning and take a walk in the evening. Every little bit helps 🙂
Raquel
Agreed that every little bit does help! Good for you Ashley!