Knowledge work has always involved a lot of sitting, even before computers arrived. Yet home working during the pandemic has glued many of us even more tightly to our seats, as the pressure to attend call after call has grown.
One of the few benefits of a basement office is that I have to climb the stairs to do most things when I’m not at my computer – get a drink, answer the door, talk to my wife, etc. So, I’m moving at least once an hour for that reason alone.
But what has really been transformative is forcing myself to go for a walk twice a day, in addition to my regular exercise routine. The benefit is as much mental as it is physical, and if I don’t or can’t do it, my mood is significantly worse.
There is no job that can justify the mental and physical price you will eventually pay for sitting almost uninterrupted 8, 10 or more hours a day. And no, standing desks are not the solution either.
So here is my plea: Move. Your. Body. Throughout the day. Or, at the very least, use the time you would normally have been commuting to get some fresh air.
I realize this is hardly groundbreaking advice.
But as one look at the daily news should tell you, common sense is in remarkably short supply around here…
Copyright, Hamish Mackenzie.com
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