How to Avoid Prolonged Sitting

If you lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, in which you are required to sit for long periods at a time, you may be lacking whole-body muscle movement. According to WebMD, a sedentary lifestyle can affect your health and trigger heart disease, diabetes, obesity and certain types of cancer. Prolonged sitting is also linked to varicose and spider veins, and sitting in an incorrect position may bring on back or neck pain. Take regular breaks from sitting to avoid discomfort and these medical complications.

Instructions

• 1

  Move your feet when sitting for a long period of time in order to stimulate your calf muscles and promote blood circulation. Come up on your toes while sitting and lower your heels back to the floor. Get up every two hours (if possible) and walk or pace around. When in an airplane or movie theater, consider getting an aisle seat so you don't have to disturb anyone when getting up.

• 2

  Avoid watching more than two hours of television daily, so that you aren't sitting in one spot for a prolonged period of time. Watch television while working out on the treadmill, elliptical machine or stationary bike, as an alternative.

• 3

  Go shopping at the mall instead of online. Walking through the mall is fun and good exercise. Shopping on your computer can be fun and practical, but it may require long periods of sitting down and does not promote healthy activity.

• 4

  Stand up while talking on the phone or while checking your emails. When you stand up you force your body to use your muscles more.

• 5

  Incorporate breaks into your work schedule. Take breaks from sitting every 30 minutes. Set your watch to beep every 30 minutes, to remind you to take a break. Give your eyes a rest, get up from your chair and walk around. Perform light stretches, take the stairs to go to the restroom on another level or visit a college elsewhere in the building.