Busy, Tired, and You Haven't Taken a Step

First, your shoulders start to tighten. Then, your back gets a bit stiff.

You shift your weight from left side to right side and lean back in your chair to stretch.

But there’s a deadline to be met, a meme to be read, an email to be sent. Back to the computer screen you go. After all, you’re busy. You’re tired.

And you haven’t taken a step.

The human body has approximately 640 muscles and 206 bones. Thanks to these body parts, we can wiggle, lift, turn, dance, walk, swim, swing, run, reach, and more. In short, our bodies are made to move!

We know enough to fill guilty about sitting in front of a TV for hours on end. Yet, the everyday conveniences of our modern lifestyle make it too easy to sit for longer periods than we think. Need groceries? Order them online. Need a new pair of shoes? Zappos(.com) to the rescue.  Need to vacuum? Use a Roomba. Hungry? Take-out and delivery, please.

Before we know it, a day is gone and our fingers are the only parts of our body that have done the walking.

Unfortunately, prolonged sitting has been linked to high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and obesity. People with the most sedentary time are more than twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease than those with the least. Studies have linked sitting to a greater risk for colon, breast and endometrial cancers. Slumping in a chair can lead to mushy abs, tight back muscles, and decreased hip mobility.

Even brain function and moods can be negatively affected by sitting.

So, that’s the bad news.

The good news is we can choose to move. At the Women’s Health Conference, we have a tradition of inspiring our attendees to improve the quality of their lives. For many, that means finding more ways to move.

It might seem counter-intuitive to talk about movement at a day-long conference – with chairs. But if you’re coming, don’t expect to be stuck to your table. In the past, fitness leaders have had attendees doing squats, improving balance, and stretching – all without leaving the conference floor.

This year we’re excited to welcome Emily Vasey, a personal trainer who will teach us all how to incorporate simple, but effective exercise between the deadlines, the online shopping and the take-out. She is passionate about showing people that it is possible (and easy) to fit more activity into a daily routine.

Let’s get moving together!