My Secret For Mental Super Powers

For whatever reason I can never get my email inbox to less than 27 messages.  Okay, there IS a reason.  Or several.  There are some things that I'm waiting on, so I leave them in there lest I forget.  There are also some things I need to take action on, but not IMMEDIATELY, so they sit there.  And sit there.  Because they don't need immediate action, I procrastinate on them.

I've got no meetings scheduled today, so I decided last night that I would make a concerted effort to take action on every email if possible.  In order to do that, it would mean sitting most of the day, which never appeals to me.

When I need to get things done on my computer and be as productive as possible, here's my trick:  I go down stairs and get on my walking work station.  I'm not mashing my butt flat or irritating my back, and the increased circulation brings more blood, glucose and oxygen to my brain, which gives me mental super powers.

I'm about to hit the 3 mile mark and I am obliterating my inbox.  Here's the view from where I'm at:  

  You might be thinking "Great.  You might be able afford a walking workstation, but I can't.  Those things are $5,000."  It might be more within your reach than you think.  Granted I have a treadmill, but it cost me less than $20 to pimp it out.  Here's a video I made on how you can make your own as well as a previous post on moving more.

We sit for an average of 8.9 hours per day, and it's a serious health risk.  We've evolved to walk and run.  Our ancestors walked 10-12 miles each day in search of food.  Our bodies are primarily made of muscle.  What for?  To move!

Here's a link to a great article:  Your Office Chair Is Killing You.  One of the things mentioned is that frequent TV and Web surfers (ie:  sitters) have higher rates of high blood pressure, obesity, elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol (that's the good kind), and high blood sugar regardless of weight.  Get up and move!  Turn off the TV.  Stand at your desk instead of sitting.  Walk or bike instead of driving if possible.  Take the stairs.  There are literally thousands of things we can do to cut down on the 8.9 hours of being sedentary.

Not only does it improve your health, it also improves your energy, focus and productivity and reduces stress.  You win no matter how you look at it.

My favorite quote of the article?  "Short of sitting on a spike you can't do much worse than a standard office chair."  That's an interesting visual......