By Kathy Smith, fitness expert, author and TV personality
Along with eating properly, and cooking light recipes, exercise is basically the most important thing you can do if you have diabetes. If you don't work out regularly, you are at risk for all kinds of diseases. Working out will make you stronger, happier, smarter, and probably richer. But if you're a desk-job person, you've got something going against you; you're sitting down all day long.
A study in the January issue of the European Heart Journal finds that it's not just the length of time people spend sitting that makes waistebands tight, but how infrequently they get up from their chairs. People who left their desks to move around the most had, on average, a 4.1 cm smaller waist circumference than those who got up less often. Of course, Saladmaster® also helps you curb your waistline by allowing you to cook without oil.
Those who break up their sedentary workday with a few simple standing breaks and short walks dramatically reduce their risk of diabetes. You can burn more calories per day just by punctuating your desk-time with a few minutes of walk-time, stand-time, or exercise-time. Standing two hours during your workday can help you burn an extra 280 calories each day, which translates into losing 20 pounds in a year! One of the many benefits of a few quick active moments on the job is increased productivity. Taking seven minutes to walk around the building is not going to mean a loss of seven minutes of work - it's going to mean a boost in productivity.
Pre-Work Walk
Getting your heart rate up before you even sit down is the best way to start. If you work on an upper floor, take the stairs. Park as far away as you can from your office. If you work at home, run around the house a few times before sitting down. Move frequently during your workday. To make it simple, just determine that you're going to get out of your chair and walk somewhere every single hour.
Get Moving During Lunch Break
If you have a lunch break use it to do a mild workout. You don't need to change into your jogging suit - just take a walk around the building, travel up and down the stairs a few times, or do some push-ups.
Stand Whenever Possible
Look for other opportunities to stand: when you're talking on the phone; when you're leafing through a report; when you're looking through your mail - stand up.
Combine cooking and eating the Saladmaster® way with taking advantage of downtime throughout your day and start to make a real change in your fitness level as well as making a real impact towards lowering your risk of diabetes.
Check out a sample video desinged for any age and fitness level, and that helps restore balance, stability and health.
For more health, wellness, cooking light recipes, and exercise information, visit www.kathysmith.com
By Kathy Smith, fitness expert, author, TV personality