The Dangers of Sitting (And what eCommerce Sellers Can Do About Them)

Growing up, we always heard from our parents to get up, stop watching TV and go outside. Go play or do something active. Most of the time, we figured they just wanted us out of their hair, however, a recent study shows that they were instilling good habits that could save your life.

A new study recently completed and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that sitting for long periods of time puts us at increased risk of having a disease or condition that will kill you prematurely. This is true even if you exercise, although exercise will reduce the affects of a sedentary lifestyle. The World Health Organization lists a sedentary lifestyle as the fourth-leading factor of death for people all over the world.  Sitting for prolonged periods of over 8 hours a day can increase your chance of getting Type 2 diabetes by up to 90%.

So as an eCommerce seller, you are probably sitting most of the day. From running your website, listing products, handling customer issues, or making sure your financials are in order, you might not leave the computer all day. So what can you do to reduce the risks of a inactive lifestyle?

1. Buy a stand-up desk. You have to be at the computer; there is no way around it, but buying a stand up desk means you are moving around while you work.
2. If you can afford it, purchase a treadmill desk. Walk while you handle all those orders and burn some calories.
3. Set an alarm to walk around for 5 minutes every half hour. Get up, get a glass of water, look out the window, do a lap around your office or home, or walk up and down some stairs.
4. Get your 30 minutes of exercise daily. Go for a walk first thing before checking your email and taking a nosedive down that rabbit hole. Or walk after work to clear your head. Walk at lunch either before or after.
5. Hate walking? You can even do pushups or lift small weights at your desk. Purchase a yoga ball and do some stretching to limber up during the day.

There are ways to combat the deskbound life and in the long run it benefits your business. Staying healthy means that you can continue to make money doing what you love.

For more information on things to do instead of sitting, check out Today’s article.

What do you during the day to keep moving?