Courtesy of the Washington Post—functional yet humiliating things to do to stay active at your desk.
Comments from Big Tent enthusiast Deepika:
My favorite is the “Hallelujah”: “Sweep arms above your head and down again as you step side-to-side. Actually yelling ”Hallelujah!” is optional.”
That should go on the list of top 10 things NOT to do when Carolyn is giving an office tour!
Bonus: notice the word “tchotchkes” in the last workout!
Inactive people have higher risk of developing heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. But exactly why is hard to tell, since they tend to have other health problems as well, like obesity. How can you determine the specific effects of inactivity?
To find an answer, researchers at the University of Missouri recently tried a novel approach. They told active, healthy people to stop moving around so much and then measured what happened.
February’s issue of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise published the results of the study. They found that when these healthy volunteers cut the number of steps they took each day in half or more, their blood sugar levels became erratic.
These people usually exercised 30 minutes or more on most days, and their blood sugar levels typically remained level and steady. But within days of curbing their activity level, their blood sugar level began to spike significantly after meals—and more so with each successive day of inactivity. Such spiking has been linked to Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Thankfully, the body returns to normal, steady blood sugar levels once a person returns to regular activity.
The reason for the spiking in a sedentary person makes sense: When we exercise, our muscles need more fuel and draw sugar from the blood. When our muscles aren’t in use, more of that sugar remains in the bloodstream.
When that is the body’s default condition, serious problems emerge. “We hypothesize that, over time, inactivity creates the physiological conditions that produce chronic disease,” John P. Thyfault, who conducted the study, told the New York Times.
So what should you do? Keep moving, even if in small doses. “When I’m really busy, I make sure to get up and walk around the office or jog in place every hour or so,” Dr. Thyfault says. “You don’t have to run marathons,” he says. “But the evidence is clear that you do need to move.”
proper plank form, at its cutest
Cool stuff from the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Academic Medicine: It looks like exercise makes kids—and the rest of us too—smarter.
Obviously physical activity improves heart health. But apparently it also enhances brain health.
This peer-reviewed medical journal says, “There is also a growing body of literature suggesting that physical activity has beneficial effects on several mental health outcomes, including health-related quality of life and better mood states.
“In addition … there is a strong belief that regular participation in physical activity is linked to enhancement of brain function and cognition, thereby positively influencing academic performance.”
Why? Doctors have a few ideas, including the fact that more blood and oxygen flow to the brain, and that the body releases more endorphins that reduce stress and improve mood.
The report reviewed 14 studies on the subject and found that the more physically active children are, the better they perform academically. At a test program two years ago at Naperville Central High School in Illinois, students participated in a dynamic morning exercise program. Participants’ reading scores nearly doubled. Their math scores improved 20-fold.
Other findings in the report, as compiled by fitness.mercola.com, include:
The authors of the study say more research needs to be conducted to be conclusive. However, unsurprisingly, they conclude that we need to yank our kids away from the TV and video games and get them active. They recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise a day—and closer to 60 minutes for overweight and obese children.
I suspect we’re going to see Laskey on the cover of the Edmond Sun at some point for these kind of shenanigans.
Read this horrifying story from the Silicon Valley Mercury News–and beware!
weighted box jump/rifle clean
(hat tip: theMrs.01!)
Attention Progress Monkeys and Lovers of Personal Betterment! Let’s give it a shot. Post your CrossFit goals for the month of November here!
Set a goal or three or five that will be challenging but achievable–and then turn around and cheer on your fellow Altius athletes. The prize for success is a big ol’ turkey dinner at the end of the month!
Actually, I’ll up the ante … I haven’t priced the t-shirts just yet (I’m thinking/hoping they’re around $25), but I’ll give a $5 discount to anyone who posts at least two goals and achieves them before December 1. No cheating with gutless goals. Onward!
