This week has felt like a week of physical extremes. I have a desk job which means, other than when I get up to refill my water or take a trip to the ladies, I am sitting down. So I try to make a point of getting up a lot. I make tea, go upstairs to photocopy something, get water, go upstairs to ask a question etc. I just don’t do well sitting down for long periods of time.
Yesterday, today and again tomorrow, I am taking part in a pretty intensive initiation to a new data management system that our agency has purchased. When I say intense, I mean 9am to 4pm with two ten minute breaks and a quick lunch, eaten at our laptops.
This week I have not been moving around enough and I’m definitely not getting enough water.
The second I leave the office, I head home, pull on my running clothes and head back out for a run. I’ve run hard this week and I’ve run well. But I just don’t feel like I can make up for seven sedentary hours with a 45 minute power run.
It got me thinking about the amount of activity that I do. It certainly feels like more than other people I work with and definitely more than most people. And yet I only average 40 minutes or so on weeknights and perhaps an hour and a half on Saturday and Sunday. Not to mention the two days when I don't run or cycle. That level of activity will increase starting next week and Saturdays will get pretty long by the end of the summer but still…
Eight hours of sitting at work. A hour max of running after work and then an evening of sitting at home. Then I’m in bed for eight hours a night. One hour out of 24 seems rather inconsequential.
Now I’m really not looking for more activities do cram into my days. They’re busy enough as it is. But it does beg the question: am I getting enough physical activity?
A quick google search comes up with recommendations that hover somewhere around 150 minutes of activity per week (or 30 minutes of activity for five days a week). I get that. In fact, I probably get about double that on a regular week. And it’s only going to increase from now until the end of October.
Yet I still feel pretty sluggish after sitting for 8 hours and still feel like a 40 minute run doesn’t quite make up for it.
I just find it ironic that, despite running four days this week and cycling one, I feel lazy. And sluggish. And rather embarrassed at my sedentary lifestyle.
I want to go from feeling like this
Yesterday, today and again tomorrow, I am taking part in a pretty intensive initiation to a new data management system that our agency has purchased. When I say intense, I mean 9am to 4pm with two ten minute breaks and a quick lunch, eaten at our laptops.
This week I have not been moving around enough and I’m definitely not getting enough water.
The second I leave the office, I head home, pull on my running clothes and head back out for a run. I’ve run hard this week and I’ve run well. But I just don’t feel like I can make up for seven sedentary hours with a 45 minute power run.
It got me thinking about the amount of activity that I do. It certainly feels like more than other people I work with and definitely more than most people. And yet I only average 40 minutes or so on weeknights and perhaps an hour and a half on Saturday and Sunday. Not to mention the two days when I don't run or cycle. That level of activity will increase starting next week and Saturdays will get pretty long by the end of the summer but still…
Eight hours of sitting at work. A hour max of running after work and then an evening of sitting at home. Then I’m in bed for eight hours a night. One hour out of 24 seems rather inconsequential.
Now I’m really not looking for more activities do cram into my days. They’re busy enough as it is. But it does beg the question: am I getting enough physical activity?
A quick google search comes up with recommendations that hover somewhere around 150 minutes of activity per week (or 30 minutes of activity for five days a week). I get that. In fact, I probably get about double that on a regular week. And it’s only going to increase from now until the end of October.
Yet I still feel pretty sluggish after sitting for 8 hours and still feel like a 40 minute run doesn’t quite make up for it.
I just find it ironic that, despite running four days this week and cycling one, I feel lazy. And sluggish. And rather embarrassed at my sedentary lifestyle.
I want to go from feeling like this
To feeling like this…
law of inertia: a body in motion will remain in motion, a body at rest will remain at rest; unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
ReplyDeleteNow imagine all those folks who sits at a computer job all day, then goes home to sit at a TV all nite. No wonder obesity rates are so high. I used to be one of the lemmings...
For most folks where I work, the only physical activity they get all days is going for a smoke and/or coffee.