sitting pretty

Mark Sisson wrote this article today, which called to mind the terrifying infographic that was circulating a couple weeks ago (below). As a fairly recent addition to the sedentary workforce, this kind of thing scares me a lot, since I can see myself very easily falling into the trap of sitting constantly. A lowly staffer at my firm, I can't very well insist on my office supplying me with a standing desk (especially not if I want them to hire me back after I get my degree), so I've been trying to come up with sneaky ways to incorporate more standing time into my day without getting labeled "that weird girl who refuses to sit the eff down":

• Drink lots of water. In addition to having to stand regularly to refill my water bottle, I also have to take bathroom breaks, which enforces frequent standing.
• Stand while reading documents. I think doing this makes it look as though I'm checking them over one more time before delivering them to a superior. In addition, I try to look (and BE) as focused as possible whenever I am standing at my desks; I don't think people question those who are really intent on their work.
  
• Ask questions in person rather than by phone or by e-mail. This is especially effective for people who are often occupied when I stop by: I have to keep getting up to see if they're free.
• Take the stairs whenever possible. A few of my superiors work three floors below me, so I always take the stairs when going to and from their offices.
• Do five air squats every time I'm about to sit down. This isn't so much about excess sitting as it is lack of movement. I don't do this every day, but I've tried it a couple times, and my legs always feel pretty exhausted by the end of the day; it's a fun and challenging way to get in mini bits of exercise throughout the day.
• Walk to work (as much as possible). I can't walk to my actual office, since it's a 35-minute train ride from my town, but I walk to and from the train station whenever the weather permits.
• Take lunch. It's tempting to hunker down in front of my monitor and work straight through my "lunch hour," but at the very least, I'm trying to incorporate fifteen-minute breaks at lunch hour. If at all possible, I'd like to have this include walks whenever I'm free.
  

I'm still trying to find more methods of stealth standing, so any input would be vastly appreciated!


Via: Medical Billing And Coding