There are two types of sitting you do during your day: involuntary and voluntary. Involuntary sitting occurs with tasks that cannot be accomplished without sitting — e.g. driving a car. Voluntary sitting occurs where you have a choice between sitting or not, and you elect to sit. For example, when riding the bus, you can usually choose to stand or sit.
For people with basically sedentary jobs such as attorneys and other desk-bound professionals, better health and fitness means minimizing sitting and maximizing movement throughout the day. Start by considering each phase of your day and where you can reduce the amount of voluntary sitting you do:
1. Your Commute. Do you drive or can/do you take public transportation? If you take public transit, chances are you have the option to stand and thereby reduce your cumulative daily sitting time. If you have no choice but to drive and therefore sit during your commute, then perhaps when you arrive, choose the parking spot furthest from your office building and walk a few hundred extra steps.
2. At Your Desk. Standing desks are becoming widely available and accepted in the workplace, and are often provided by employers to their employees at no charge. Ask your office manager. Then once you have one, begin using it incrementally — standing 20 minutes or so every hour for the first several weeks. Gradually increase your standing-to-sitting ratio until the bulk of your time at your desk is spent standing with good posture.
3. Waiting. Arrive at a meeting or lunch date early? Consider standing while you wait rather than taking a seat in the designated waiting area. At the doctor’s office? Try standing in the waiting room instead of sitting. Picking up lunch or dinner to go? Stand instead of sit while you wait.
4. At Home. Are there daily tasks that do not by their nature require sitting, yet you find yourself sitting down when yo do them? Eating breakfast; opening and reading mail; folding laundry? Trying standing during all or part of these activities.
Human bodies were meant for movement! If you have a job that is generally sedentary, use the above ideas and get creative about where else in your day you can add in more standing and movement. And email lawandmotionfitness@gmail.com if you’re curious about working with a personal trainer who understands the challenges that lawyers and office professionals face when it comes to balancing work with better health and fitness.