DEAD READERS DON'T READ BLOGS!

Yes, blogging could truly be the death of me (the blogger) yet. But did you know it could be the death of you the blog reader too? Ah! See you can learn from my blogging!

Before you think this is just another one of my crackpot ways to get out of working, it's not actually the blogging itself that could kill me, it's the SITTING while I blog that could. Not only could it kill me, it could kill you. The sitting that is. And dead readers don't read blogs.

Recently it was reported that the following things increased the death rates:
(Info from WebMD) (Of course WebMD was not reporting on blogging death rates)

After adjusting for smoking, height/weight, and other factors, Patel's team found that compared to sitting less than three hours a day, sitting six or more hours a day:

• Increased the death rate by about 40% in women
• Increased the death rate by about 20% in men
• Increased the death rate by 94% in the least active women
• Increased the death rate by 48% in the least active men

Yes, it's true. Dead readers don't read blogs. And Dead Bloggers Can't Write Them Either!

OK. This is more than a little scary. Freelance writers (bloggers) are probably amoung the most sedentary occupations. So our death rate is probably right up there at the top (for once a poll you don't want to be at the top of.)

I'm a woman who sits more than six hours a day, my death rate got kicked up by a whopping 40%.  Not good, not good at all. Then comes "increased the death rate by 94% in the least active women."  Not sure I'm the least active, but I'm certainly closer to less active than more active. So I figure that's going to kick it up to about 65% (OK, not scientific, but just my guesstimate).

Here's the bottom line--I have to start getting up and moving around and exercising more during the day. Maybe set a timer to get up and move around every 20 minutes for about three minutes.  Much as I hate interrupting my work and the flow of thoughts and ideas while I'm working I'm going to have to make the effort. Even more I hate the idea of jumping jacks rattling my brain around in the middle of working, but it certainly is a better option that dying young.

But it's not just lack of exercise that causes premature death, excessive sitting increases the risks of cancer deaths as well. If that doesn't scare you off the couch or office chair nothing will. So get up, get moving.  Moving beats chemotherapy!

How can you try to counteract the 'sitting effect?' Get up every 20 minutes or so, do some moderate exercise just for short periods of time.  Alternate your sitting with activity that requires reaching, stretching, walking, running, jogging, whatever works.  If you're walking, take that time to make your phone calls. Most of us don't need to sit down to talk, so walk and talk. It's a matter of changing your habits. Set your kitchen timer or alarm on your cell phone to go off every 20 minutes.  If you're like me unless something tells you the 20 minutes are up, you'll still be typing away or running a new search, or other business related task. My house may be cleaner than usual as I now get that vacuum out and run it as part of my 'routine' movement plan.

When my daughter read about this study she told me I needed an exercise ball to sit on while I watch TV. My problem? I watch TV, work, and SIT all at the same time. I'm likely to break my neck! (Worse yet, the laptop!) So I think I'll skip my exercise ball unless I'm just watching TV or reading. 

So if you're SITTING there reading this, and haven't gotten up and done some moderate exercise in the last 20 minutes or so, it's time to get up and get moving. You can walk and read my blog at the same time!  No excuses! DEAD READERS DON'T READ BLOGS! So get up and get moving!