As a nurse you probably spend a great deal of time on your feet, and not on your tush. Or do you? Drop a pedometer in your pocket and you may be surprised at how little you actually locomote. Not to worry, though, there is an easy way to add movement to your day, and it doesn’t involve strenous activity, such as training for a half-marathon. You can just increase the percentage of time that you stand while you work, plus before and after your shift.
Did you know?
>Bill Gates has implemented standing meetings and conference rooms in order to encourage collaboration and productivity.
>Unlike sitting, your brain associates standing with “real work” and so snaps to attention and becomes laser-focused.
>The Guiness world record for standing on a Swiss ball is 5 hours, 7 minutes, and 6 seconds. Whew!
>Healthcare professionals who use standing desks say they have more energy and are more productive, which means they can enjoy downtime at home more.
>No one brags about getting a sitting ovation, do they? Hmmmm.
>When you stand for long periods it can be just as hard on your body as when you’re sedentary all day. (Think of assembly line workers or restaurant waiters who complain of varicose veins, say.) Alternate beteen sitting and standing.
Researchers report that the average person burns 50 more calories per hour when standing versus sitting. Do the math: if you stand for 4 hours more than you normally do in a day, that’s an additional 200 calories burned. Over the course of a year…well, you get the picture.
Can’t put a stop to those ice-cream cravings, but want to head off a major binge? (This afternoon I joined my co-workers for a taste of 31 flavors in honor of our 31st birthday girl.) Before you head out to the ice cream store, stop to calculate how long you’ll need to stand up to burn off the calories in that scoop, or two, or three, or…
This Just Eat It calculator gives you over 450 options under a “what are you craving” pull-down menu. In addition to scoops, there are these options:
Craving a Subway BLT for lunch? Stand up for a little more than two hours to burn off those calories. In the mood for a McDonald’s hamburger? Burn off those 264 calories by spending a little more than an hour and a half on your feet. Piece of cake! Mmm… cake…
What works for you in feeling good during your work day? And crunching extra calories? Let us know!
Jebra Turner is a writer in Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at www.jebra.com.
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