photo: @mikutas
Only 4.9% of teenagers aged 12-18 have tried a cigarette, and according to “Fast Stats” the level of obesity is significantly higher with 20.5% of teens aged 12-19 falling into that category, and rising! This is a scary thought. Not only do we want to live a long and healthy life, but we want our kids, friends and family to have the same.
Our generation has fallen into an indulgent culture where we have everything we could ever want at the press of a button. I can use my phone to order a pizza, a pair of jeans and a toothbrush without leaving my house.
Dr. James Levine, who coined the term ‘sitting is the new smoking’ said this: “Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.” And it’s easy to do. In our offices we are all sitting, all day, nobody gets up for a walk unless it’s to the toilet or for a lunch break.
How can we change that?
Walk after work
Once you’re finished working all you want to do is sit on your butt – I know that. But as soon as you build up 10,000 steps a day, you will burn at least 500 calories and reverse any damage already done. Whether you walk 5,000 in the morning and 5,000 in the evening, it’s easy to be active. Plus, you can take the stairs in some tube stations…
Schedule walk-breaks
Set tasks that can be done while you’re on your feet. If you have an inbox app, you can reply to emails while you walk back and forth outside, just to give you a break from sitting indoors.
Walk with a group
Encouraging some co-workers, friends or family members to walk with you is the best way to stay motivated. When one of you doesn’t feel like it, the rest of you will help everyone stay on track!
Keep your pedometer app on
Having an app counting steps in the background allows you to share your milestones with whoever you choose. Hit 10,000 and tweet that! Why not?
Written by Ellie McHugh
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