Get off your butt

What to know how you can burn 1,448 more calories a day without going to the gym? According to MSNBC just standing at your desk will burn 32 more calories than sitting on your butt.

Because of technology, we spend more time sitting on our butt than we do being active. We spend more and more time in front of the computer or TV (I know that I do). All this sitting is causing a lot of harm to our bodies. Spending more time sitting causes lower back problems and increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

"The less you move, the less blood sugar your body uses; research shows that for every two hours spent on your backside per day, your chance of contracting diabetes goes up by 7 percent. Your risk for heart disease goes up, too, because enzymes that keep blood fats in check are inactive. You're also more prone to depression: With less blood flow, fewer feel-good hormones are circulating to your brain. "

Exercising 30 minutes a day does not counteract the 56 minutes sitting.

"And even if you exercise, you're not immune. Consider this: We've become so sedentary that 30 minutes a day at the gym may not do enough to counteract the detrimental effects of eight, nine, or 10 hours of sitting, says Genevieve Healy, Ph.D., a research fellow at the Cancer Prevention Research Centre of the University of Queensland in Australia. That's one big reason so many women still struggle with weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol woes despite keeping consistent workout routines.

In a recent study, Healy and her colleagues found that regardless of how much moderate to vigorous exercise participants did, those who took more breaks from sitting throughout the day had slimmer waists, lower BMIs (body mass indexes), and healthier blood fat and blood sugar levels than those who sat the most. In an extensive study of 17,000 people, Canadian researchers drew an even more succinct conclusion: The longer you spend sitting each day, the more likely you are to die an early death — no matter how fit you are."

Now I am even more motivated to get away from my desk and just walk around or even do some kind of movement while trying to figure out why the computer code is not working. I printed out the article and posting it in my cubicle to remind me to get up and move.

You can burn those 1448 calories by standing at your desk, taking the stairs, walking with a co-worker while brainstorming, cook at home, pace while on a conference call, make out during commercials, do some kind of exercise during commercials. One lady that I know keeps exercise bands in her desk drawer and gets them out while on conference calls ( I am going to look for my bands when I get home). Just fidgeting at your desk will burn calories and increase circulation. One way to really help you lose weight is drink a lot of water. You will be getting away from your desk and walking to the bathroom more.

I will be posting some exercises you can do at your desk in the next few days. Now get up and go for a short walk around the office.