I'm Lazy....Part 2

As I mentioned earlier this week, I purchased a fitbit. The fitbit flex actually. After a couple years of wavering back in forth over the need/want for a tracking tool like this I finally broke down and bought one.  Of course, it was backordered and I sadly had to wait.  No, I had no idea I could have went to Best Buy or Target and just bought one until people told me that this week. Eh, oh well. It is on its way to my house as we speak. I have been checking the USPS tracking info like a neurotic person, even though it clearly said delivery would be Saturday, and lo and behold- it’s here. See, miracles do happen…LOL!

I am very excited about the arrival of my fitbit if for no other reason than to see really how pathetic my sedentary lifestyle is. I need this kick in the pants. Not because I want to lose weight, not because I feel like I need to challenge myself to do more fitness activities but because sitting for 9, 10, 12….maybe even 14 hours or more a day is bad. Really bad. No matter how many miles I run every day or how many fitness classes I take a week- sitting all day long negates all of that.  And I am about to find out how bad it really is. I'm fairly certain that it's going to be ugly.

I am going to take next week as a trial week to gauge where I am right now before I set any goals. I do hope to be able to set a daily goal that really just focuses on my non-workout times. I want to make sure that on top of running I am still getting in a certain number of steps or a certain amount of movement every day.

And thanks to the awesome comments you guys left on  my post earlier this week I have some great ideas how to get in some extra movement throughout the day. Lunch time walks are great, although I can only squeeze in 30 minutes, but not enough. I was thinking about trying to take a short 5 minute walk every hour or two as well. I think I could make a nice loop outside around the building I work in which would involve coming up or down a big set of stairs on one side and up or down a steep ramp on the other.  I also like the idea of walking around the mall (or even coming back up to work and walking the library) on evenings when the weather sucks and I can't take the doggies out for a walk.

Oh, and I am working on a way to convert a workspace in my temporary office into a desk that I could both sit and stand at. Because it really doesn’t have to be all about walking, just standing is far better than sitting all day long.

Honestly, I do not know the last time I have been so excited about something- especially a gadget. It’s definitely a good thing to help me focus more on an area of my life that needs help.  Being sedentary is definitely starting to take its toll and I don’t like it. I mean if I am going to focus on being a healthier person this is an area that needs help. If an active person leading a sedentary lifestyle is just as likely to suffer from the same problems and ailments as a couch potato I definitely need to stop sitting all day long. Nope, my desk job isn’t going away any time soon but I am smart and I have great resources (you) and I know I will figure out ways to combat this problem.  It may take some trial and error but I am ready for the challenge!

Stay tuned! You know I will defintiely be keeping you posted!

Please feel free to leave any/all ideas you have in the comments. I really appreciate it J

I'm Lazy

Yep, you read that right.

I’m lazy.

Ok, well maybe lazy isn’t the right word.

Sedentary is probably a better way to describe myself.

Are you shocked reading that this is how I think of myself?

It’s true. Yes, I work out most days. Some days I even get in two workouts. But the rest of the time….I am on my butt. And that 45 mins- 1.5 hrs a day of exercise just doesn’t cut it.

You see,I work a desk job. I sit in meetings. I hover over my computer. During my eight hours of work, I only get up to walk to the bathroom.

I used to walk on my lunch break but once I started in with classes I started using my hour of downtime to do homework. Having 5 ‘extra’ hours of time to devote to homework made the amount I needed to do at home substantially less and I loved that.

But because I now work through my lunch break I basically have 9 hours straight of sitting time.

After work I usually go to barre class for an hour, and that is awesome, but once I get home I end up on the couch for the remaining hours of the day watching TV, playing on my phone, eating, etc.

Then bed.

So what does that mean for me.

16 hours of awake time, minus 1.5 hours of activity (if I’m lucky), means that over 90% of my day is spent sitting. Yep, you read that right. NINETYFREAKINGPERCENT!

This number, it’s not good.

So, yes, I do think I am lazy. Maybe not completely by choice but still, 90% of my day being spent on my ass- yeah, I feel like a slug. I literally can feel the damage sitting all day long does to my body.

My injury to my psoas last year was caused by underuse, not overuse. From being so inactive (all while training for a half marathon mind you) and now I still feel how weak my psoas is when I run. And I hate it. It’s really not a good feeling.

And I felt it before the triathlon Thursday night. I leaned over to get something out of my bag when I was getting set up and I felt how stiff my back was, how sore my shoulders were from sitting and hunching all day. I felt like an old lady. Not really how you want to feel right before starting a triathlon.

Like they said in Runner’s World ‘sitting is the new smoking’ – doesn’t sound very healthy does it?

So what am I going to do to fix it?

Well, there is not much I can do about the 8 hours of work time. My job requires me to work at a computer. I do want to ask about a standing or adjustable desk but right now I work remotely on a laptop in a building cross-campus from my office. Not sure there is much I can do about this until I am back to working in my real office. Although I am thinking about bringing in a stability ball to sit on- better than nothing, right?

I am going back to taking lunch time walks. It will cut into my schoolwork time in the fall but I am ok with that. My goal is to get in at least 3 a week with 5 a week being ideal.

I am actually changing up my exercise routine to help accommodate Paul’s new training schedule and the needs of my household. So all of my workouts will be in the morning and I will be coming home after work every day, cooking dinner, and taking care of the dogs. My plan is to take the dogs for an hour walk every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and at least one long walk on the weekends. Then come home and work on schoolwork- not watch TV. Still sitting but at least my brain is being active.

Also, I am going to try and be better with housework during the week. A) because it will keep me off the couch and B) it needs to be done.

Oh, and I bought a fitbit (just waiting for it to ship) and I am hoping this helps get me moving more. I am sure seeing super low step counts every day will motivate me to get off my butt more!

So, those are some of my ideas for how to be more active in my sedentary world. Any other suggestions?

Are you an sedentary active  person like me? How does it affect your health and fitness?