The Perils of "Sitting Disease"

The guest speaker for the April New England Chapter GBTA was Marcey Rader, author of “Beyond Travel … A Road Warrior’s Survival Guide”,  who gave a great presentation along with some good advice and ideas.

She mentioned a study done by Stanford School of Business that states that morning is the best time to make difficult decisions because that’s when our levels of serotonin and dopamine are high. We are less risk-adverse and can make hard decisions. Other areas that affect positive decision-making are good quality sleep, exercise, breakfast (and not the high-carb, high-sugar choice) and short naps. Hunger and thirst also lead to making high-risk choices.

People that sit most of the day, especially people that work from home, can suffer from “Sitting Disease”, what some call the new smoking. There are many negative aspects to prolonged sitting and they include: high blood pressure, increase in the production of insulin, poor leg circulation and slower brain function to name a few. If possible it is recommended to do six 5-minute exercise breaks per day which can include sit-ups, running in place, going up and down stairs, etc.

Working in conjunction with these short breaks during the day would be the more traditional evening options of going to the gym, walking or running to name a few. There are other ways of getting in a little exercise. If you are delayed at an airport do not sit and wait for the flight to be called but use the time to walk around the terminal.  If you are shopping at a mall, park so you have to walk further to your destination.