Verticality for Health and Fitness

Ever since learning that sitting is deadly, I've been thinking up ways to stand more. The problem is that I can't imaging writing or web surfing on my feet, so a standing desk is out. But I can:

• Go to a museum or gallery once per week (lots of standing!)


• Take a 30 minute walk per day (in addition to gym workouts)


• Eat, drink and socialize standing as much as possible (e.g. at the bar rather than at tables).


• Never sit at bars...stand only!


• Get faster at catching the point when I've been sitting too long and would be amenable to standing up for activities I usually prefer seated (e.g. writing and web surfing)....rather than waiting until I'm dying to get up.


• Set a timer (e.g. using this iPhone app) to remind myself to get up and walk around every x minutes.


• No "optional" sitting. If I feel a strong compulsion to sit, fine. But simply spotting a nearby chair doesn't mean it must be sat in. One example is while cooking; I stand and leaf through a magazine while waiting for water to boil.


• When standing for long periods, use some sort of block or support to elevate a foot. The reason for the elevated foot rests you see on bars (see photo below) is that they make it much more comfortable to stand for long periods.