The European Heart Journal (January 11 edition) reports that taking regular breaks from the desk, even as short as a minute, is good for both your waistline and heart health.
In a study reported after studying 4, 757 people aged 20 and over, researchers found those who sat down for long periods without getting up had a larger waist circumference and lower levels of good HDL cholesterol.
Other findings from the study showed that prolonged periods of sitting were linked with heart problems, inflammation, higher levels of C-reactive protein (an important marker of inflammation) and triglycerides (blood fats).
For instance, in the study, subjects who took more breaks from sitting during the day — up to 1, 258 short breaks in one week — had smaller waists, up to two pants sizes smaller than those who took the fewest, as few as 99 breaks in one week
Practical tips for you
- Centralize things like rubbish bins and printers so you need to walk to them
- Occasionally stand during meetings
- Stand up to take phone calls
- Walk to see a colleague rather than phoning or e-mailing
- Taking the stairs instead of the lift. You would also save your employer on electricity bills
