Why NOT sitting still is good for you

Researchers at Queen's University in Canada recently published findings linking our "figityness" to our overall cardiovascular health. The findings were published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine. Activities that the researchers refer to as incidental physical activities (IPA) are associated with cardiorespiratory fitness. The intensity of the activity seems to be particularly important, as is a cumulative 30-minute increase in moderate physical activity throughout the day.

To increase your IPAs, here is a list of fun activities you can incorporate into your everyday life:

• Skip to pick up your ringing phone
• Wash your car
• Clean
• Garden
• Stand while talking on the phone, you can even throw in some squats
• Contract your butt muscles while watching TV, driving or working on the computer
• Walk your dog…do some leg lifts when your pooch stops to sniff
• Step from side to side or sway while standing at the counter cooking
• Play with your kids
• Walk to an colleagues office instead of phoning or emailing
• Bike to a friend's house
• Mow the lawn
• If possible, walk to the nearest restaurant for a dinner out
• Work in a standing position for five minutes every hour if your job requires you to sit
• replace chairs with exercise balls
• Roll your head from side to side
• Flex and move your feet while sitting
• Add you own!

Source: For more information on the research cited in this story visit: Queen's University