Seated All Day at Work? Make sure to...

Find out which neighborhood in your area is at risk for flooding, later tonight on 11 News at 11.


Parents, is your child playing with this toy right now? It could kill your child. Find out which toy was just recalled later tonight ...


So many wonderful stories that our media frightens us with. Well, here's another one I came across earlier this year relating to wellness. The crux of the story: sitting for prolonged periods of time will kill you--even if you exercise regularly. 


Gulp! I exercise regularly but I also sit for prolonged periods whether it be consulting with clients or working on the computer. 


The article I came across said, "Studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die."


Ya think? Really, wow, that's some breakthrough research. And to think, thousands of dollars was probably spent on this study. 


I'm not fat, but I do sit at times quite a bit. Does this mean my life span will be shortened significantly? 


I'm confident it won't. The reason why is that I take several mini-exercise breaks throughout the day when I'm seated. If you're seated and sedentary for prolonged periods of time, follow this advice. 


What I do is get up at least once every two hours and perform one bodyweight exercise that combines strength and flexibility. My favorite is performing a wide downward dog and then transitioning into an upward dog. I just go back and forth for 10-20 repetitions. My heart rate goes up, almost every part of my body is being stretched out and my arms and lower back are getting stronger. 


(If you're in the area, I'd be more than happy to show you how to do this wonderful all-in-one exercise free of charge; if you're not, I can show you on Skype or email you a brief video clip.)


Another great bodyweight exercise to do is a modified pushup transitioning into a downward dog. Start by getting on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. With your fingers spread wide, use your knees to rock forward. Keep your elbows in tight towards your ribs and bend your elbows so you're doing the downward portion of a pushup. 


As you push back up, get off your knees and go into a downward dog, so you look like an upside down "V".


If you do a few sets of each exercise every day, you'll stave off any frightening effect--like early death--that the media has fun propagating. 


If you sit all day and/or drive a lot, another good thing to do besides the two exercises I mention is to just spend a few minutes on a foam roller to release the tight knotted-up muscle tissue. I use one on myself after every stretching/bodywork session I give. If I feel tight, I roll on my spine and often get an almost-orgasmic series of "pop-pop-pops" in my vertebrae. If you need recommendations of where to get a foam roller from, let me know. I'll be more than glad to help...


The article also mentioned that it might be best if you sit for prolonged periods, it would be best to split up your workouts. So does that mean if you're doing a hardcore butt-kicking workout like P90X or kettlebells, you shouldn't do the whole workout at one time? I think the verdict is still out on that one. But I do like the concept of splitting up exercise over the course of an entire day. I think it keeps the blood pumping throughout the body throughout the whole day as opposed to being stagnant for most of the day.


So make it a habit of daily brief bouts of exercise if you sit for long periods of time. Who knows, maybe the hysterical news media may be right on this one. I wouldn't want to be on the losing side of that bet.