Bad news for those who try to stay active to make up for their sedentary geeky lifestyles: sitting down for long periods is bad for you, even if you exercise regularly. From Yahoo:
“After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals,” Ekblom-Bak said. She explained that genes regulating the amount of glucose and fat in the body start to shut down.
Even for people who exercise, spending long stretches of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization, said people who exercise every day — but still spend a lot of time sitting — might get more benefit if that exercise were spread across the day, rather than in a single bout.
The article goes on to suggest that those who spend all day in front of computers—pretty much anyone who reads this blog I think—should try to take a break from sitting as much as possible. In an office setting, this obviously involves standing up and actually socializing with your co-workers.
But what if you work at home? Or can’t take long breaks and leave your WoW raiding partners to fend for themselves? Luckily here’s more advice you can follow:
Photo credit: Wikipedia
Post from: The Gadget Blog
Face it, our passion for tech usually comes at a cost: those long hours spent seated in front of the computer are fatal for waistlines, not to mention for our health. That’s why Leo Babauta’s Simple Fitness Rules are gold for gadgeteers:
A lean tummy, courtesy stock.xchng (details below)
The Two-Rule Version
- Get your body moving on a regular basis; and
- Eat a moderate amount of real, whole foods (with occasional indulgences).
The Eight-Rule, Yet Still Simple, Version
- Get moving
- Enjoy yourself
- Slowly add intensity
- Minimal equipment
- Just a few exercises
- Eat real foods
- Eat less
- Give it time
Follow the full details here, and who knows? You could end up lifting a 12-pound desktop replacement with one hand multiple times, enough to score first dibs on some cool piece of tech.
See Also: The Best Damn Healthy Gaming Tip Ever
(image courtesy ljk)
Post from: The Gadget Blog
