This week, a study measuring the impact of “Desk Breaks” on mental health was released.

Created by ASICS, participants took regular breaks from their desks to engage in physical activity.

While the benefits of movement for sedentary behaviour and mental well-being have long been studied (and I write about them in my book), this study involved 26,000 participants, including Hannah Beechman, founder of RED January, and me!  

For two weeks this summer, we diligently recorded our daily movement with a Fitbit while enjoying the comfort of a new pair of ASICS shoes.

While it’s not news that there have been significant changes in daily physical activity levels over time, excessive sitting (aka a sedentary lifestyle) is a risk factor in 4 of the top 7 preventable killers, including:

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Stroke

Global research claims we sit an average of 7-15 hours daily, which is no wonder! The number of sedentary jobs has increased by 83% since 1950 (PUBMED 2021). The graphic above shows us just how much that is true.

On the left side, around the Great Depression (the green dot), we did pretty well with our “Daily Energy Expenditure.” Maybe not great in terms of financial stability, but our bodies were doing pretty well.  

What happened after WWII (the first yellow dot)? We got savvy with the advent of “time-saving technology,” transportation, washing machines, T.V.s, and so on—they were all out there to help us save time, but we weren’t using this time to move our bodies.

Then we see the rise of “time-wasting technology,” with innovation cutting into our daily energy expenditure (where the green and blue lines cross) when we sit in front of a computer.

The second yellow dot was the most drastic drop-off in movement in the early 2000s (the second yellow dot ). We surrendered to time-wasting technology, and look what it did—it reduced energy expenditure by 60-70%.

Let’s pretend we can implement measures to address these (for those who like to measure steps).  

The great depression – the green dot – was our 10,000 steps a day moment.

Notice where the green and yellow lines cross 20-30 years later – we are probably down to around 4000 steps.

Let’s go to the red dot at the bottom of the graph. We might be lucky if we get 1500 steps a day—that’s not healthy, and it’s not cool.

What does this mean for you?

Too much sitting is NOT the same as too little exercise, so even if you exercise, you are still at risk if you sit too long. Scientists are dubbing our sedentary lifestyles “The Sitting Disease” because, as mentioned above, being still leads to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and depression.

Those who spend a full working day continuously at their desk (8 or more hours) report a 25% increase in stress levels compared to those who split their workday into two four-hour chunks and take a break in the middle.

The ASICS study confirmed that just 15 minutes of movement “can reverse the effects of sitting and help improve our mental well-being, stress levels, and productivity. Taking a daily Desk Break every day for just one week led to consistent stress reduction, with participants reporting feeling 33.3% more relaxed, 28.6% more calm, and resilient.”

One answer is to stand, walk, jump, and fidget more frequently, which is why play is the most important part of every adult’s day.

Imagine the potential for positive change in our lives, reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes through simple awareness, much like MADD for drinking or tobacco for smoking.

Movement taps into the science and power of non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which refers to the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating, or engaging in structured exercise.

This includes daily activities like walking around the house, gardening, cleaning, fidgeting, and even simple movements such as standing up and taking a “play” break from our desks.

You can take control of your health by setting a timer (every hour) to take a play break and consciously avoiding excessive sitting, even when confined to the office or in front of the computer or T.V.

This is the fundamental reason I wrote my book—to make the habit of playing an essential strategy for moving and helping to solve the global inactivity crisis. I present workshops on the topic and am behind RED January, encouraging people to “rise every day” in one of the year’s darkest months to boost their mood.

Incorporating more NEAT into daily life can be a powerful habit for improving your physical and overall movement goals and mental health—no gym is required.

Play on!

Your friend and coach,
Jan xox