We read. We write. We sit.
Image. BlogSpot.com
According to recent reports, sitting 5 hours a day is the equivalent of smoking a pack and a half of cigarettes.
Ouch.
I have felt the effects, and make an effort to get up more often, moving around, stretching, feeding myself, etc.
In the process, I discovered an interesting bit of information on those less heralded forms of activity/exercise and wanted to share it here.
Here is one about creative writing.
For one hour of writing a person weighing:
100 pounds burns 72 calories,
125 pounds burns 89 calories,
150 pounds burns 107 calories,
175 pounds burns 125 calories,
200 pounds burns 143 calories,
225 pounds burns 161 calories, and
250 pounds burns 179 calories.
It is said that the human brain utilizes about 20 percent of the calories required in a day.
To calculate other very regular daily activities, this chart includes some interesting numbers.
vanbytheriver 
Ah a feel good post I knew it was healthy really
And, no doubt, some brains have to work harder than others. ☺
OH CRAP! I’m in such trouble, Van. I sit for about 10 hours a day. Yikes. Time to change up the routine. Thanks for the life-saving info!!!
Crap is right, D. The correlation to smoking was the shocker to me. I do go out walking for an hour a day. Still….yikes.
I’ve started reading on the treadmill for 30 minutes a day…but it’s not enough. Gotta figure out other routines as well. You motivated me!
💛 💙 💜
p.s. There are a few fitness tracking devices that beep at you if you don’t get out of your chair for at least once an hour. Not sure which ones…but it makes sense. So easy to get lost in it all and lose track of time. 💕
I’ve used the timer on the microwave to remember to eat. I should just start resetting it all day – starting today!
Wow. Alarm to remind you to eat. You are in deep, Diana. That’s quite a commitment, but take time to take care of you. ☺
I’m dealing with this right now, like right at this second. Waiting for the skies to clear up so I can FINALLY go outside for a walk. It’s been a cold, crappy spring and I’ve hardly been able to walk outside at all. I’m also trying to prod my husband into walking more. He sits all day, every day in front of his computer. Very dangerous!
I understand. My husband’s Dr. is helping in the effort to get him walking. Was advised to raise his HDL, the good cholesterol, by exercise. It’s working for him. Good luck, Julie. ❤️
It’s never been because of health reasons, just a kind of restlessness, but when I’m at work I am always getting out of my chair and out of my office. If I need to meet with somebody, I go to their office instead of them coming to mine. I get up and wander around a lot, just to get up and out of my office. I probably rarely sit in my chair for more than 20-30 minutes at a time. Of course, with all of the combined sitting at meetings and in my office and then at home, I’m sure I sit for more than 5 hours each day, but I find it hard to believe that sitting for that amount of time spread out over an entire day is really that bad Is it?
It seems like it’s about continuous sitting, King. Getting up makes a difference. My husband was like you at work, huge corporate office, lots of stairs kept him going. Now retired, it takes more effort, but is so worth it. ☺
I can’t imagine sitting in one place for one hour (unless it’s a meeting I have to be in), let alone five hours straight! Talk about torture.
I get it. The muscle stiffness starts to set in pretty quickly. But at home, in a recliner…different story ???
As I type this, I’m in my recliner and my hour is just about up. 😉
Gotta get up and get ready for work. Sigh.
It happens. ☺
Interesting. Write more = less time on the elliptical. 👍😁
Ha. I tried those indoor machines. Got tired of them in a hurry. Went back to walking outdoors. ☺
Wow, I am really burning 72 calories per hour while writing? Cool! Also, whenever possible I stand while writing. I am spending many hours on my laptop and sitting is really no fun for so long!
Funny memory. I worked in an office that had those adjustable desks, sit to stand feature. I mentioned one day that doing the same computer activity, but standing, burned so many more calories. In unison, all the folks around me raised their station to a stand position. Most took to sitting soon again, though. ☺
Haha… when you say something about losing weight effortlessly everybody listenens. But yes, comfort (or lazyness) often succeeds… lol!
It’s ironic that I need to put on weight in order to burn more calories… :p
Not worth it ??? ☺ Just keep running, Elk.
😀 xx
What an interesting article! Thanks for sharing, Van. 🙂
My pleasure, Tonya 💙 💜
At the rate my brain thinks and changes topics, I should be incredibly skinny at this stage.
I can relate. Calories burning…at rapid speed. ☺
Thanks for the reminder to get out of my head and seated butt and get my body moving Van!!
That getting out of one’s head…might be the greater challenge ? Thanks, Val. ☺
What an interesting fact about sitting around and how it relates to smoking. That’s crazy. I try to walk 3-4 miles a day and do yard work as much as possible but the winters are tougher to keep active. Maybe I need a warmer climate..:)
I used to think about that warmer climate. Then, my internal thermostat took an adjustment. I love walking in winter…with the right clothes, that brisk air is refreshing. ☺
You do have a point..:)
Reblogged this on Mysticalwriter.
Thanks so much, Sherri. 💖
Your welcome
When I was in the classroom I was on my feet all day, walking around helping the children. It was an active lifestyle. Now that I’m writing I am sitting most of the day. I notice the difference it has made to my fitness levels. I’m not a lover of exercise but I need to do something. Just this week I have thought about how I can add a little more movement into each day. There is one step between my dining and lounge room and I need to walk past it every time I leave my desk during the day. I decided that each time I pass the step I need to stop and do 50 step ups (200 steps in all). It’s not a lot, but it’s a start. Hopefully the number will increase as I go, and maybe I’ll need to make sure I get up more often!
Every step counts, Norah. Sounds like a good plan.☺ In most areas, Ranch style homes are the best sellers…maybe because of us aging baby boomers who want to do away with stairs. It has been found that folks who live in 2 story homes live an average of 5 years longer, just because of using the stairs. ☺
That’s interesting about the two story houses. Perhaps I should do more walking up and down of the stairs as well!
It’s one of the cheapest forms of exercise. I used to climb stairs at work on my lunch break. ☺
Great post, Van! Yes, any movement counts! Guess that’s why I was “okay” with rage yoga! I mentioned something about sitting too much with writing a while ago in a post I wrote, and linked to a recent study that said for every 1 hour of sitting, we should get up and walk for at least 5-10 minutes to keep the vessels in our legs healthy. When we sit for too long, blood pools in our legs because our muscles aren’t contracting and pumping the blood back to the heart. The vessels can become impaired in their ability to expand due to sitting for too long, and that leads to a person’s risk for heart disease, as well as other health issues.
(I think I’ve mentioned that study a dozen or more times around the interwebs just trying to get the word out!) Thanks again for posting this helpful information! xo
Thanks for the additional info on the legs, Kelly. I have felt the effects and make an effort to get up more often. Writing is special, but that sitting can get to be problematic. Have a great weekend. 💖
You’re welcome, Van. Hope you have a wonderful weekend as well! 🙂
wow Van a huge eye opener!
I’ve been hearing a lot about it on the news lately, Lynn. It’s worth our attention. We’ve all become more sedentary. 💘
It really is! I try to walk 20 minutes 3 times a day, hope that helps!
It certainly should. ☺ Doesn’t matter if it’s done all at one time.
I used to walk for an hour or more but since my daughter graduated and is working, I just break it up. She and I used to walk 2 hours sometimes.
And breaking it up is much easier on the legs and hips ! ☺
It really is Van, I am now 54 and so I like breaking it up, my back, hips, everything hurts haha
I like the part of burning calories when writing, though my scale never tells the truth.
One of my NY resolutions years ago was to dump the scale. I could tell by my clothes when I was a bit off. A few years later, it returned. Those fitted waistbands don’t lie. ☺
No they don’t, but they are so comfortable 🙂
I need to write WAY MORE.
great post Van
Thanks, DK. 💜
Yikes, I should set up a treadmill to power my laptop!
Or get one of those Flintstone cars ?? Thanks, Terri. ☺
Van, there’s a book, “Get Up!” that I have out from the library as I write this. I think the subtitle is “how your chair is killing you” or something like that. The premise is essentially that people should be up and on their feet MOST of the time. You might be interested.
I’ll have to check it out. After all, these bodies were meant to be moving. ☺
It is easy to forget….
As an unemployed wheelchair user, I spend most of my day, and all evening on my laptop, even while the TV is on. Hmm. . . I wonder how many packs that would be…
Oh, no. I’m sure there has to be exceptions to the rule, Karen. 💘
Wow I have thought about this before you just cleared my doubts. Thanks for sharing with us. You’re awesome.
Much love,Georg
My pleasure, George. Now, stand up and walk around, or at least, stretch a bit. ☺
Will do so but not yet time need to burn more lol.😊
Whoa…so I can burn calories by WRITING?! That is seriously cool.
Using that brain always requires heat and energy…that’s calories ! ☺
One of the doctors I read wrote about 15 minutes of activity of every hour seated, so I do 15 minutes of activity per hour when I’m at my computer. I’m not saying it’s because I have anxiety disorder, but it’s probably because I have anxiety disorder. A surprising number of tasks can be accomplished in 15-20 minute intervals 🙂
My husband is getting a standing desk at his new job. He used to run. He doesn’t run now, I worry about him. And he’s a meat eater. Thank tacos we quit smoking.
I walk and bang tennis balls and dance and garden and yoga, too, but not every single day — it can’t be good to sit so much…
If you’re getting 15 minutes an hour, you’re ahead of the game, Joey. Nice. ❤️
I try. I’m not getting any younger or thinner, must do what’s easiest. lol