Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip - Curb Your Couch Potato

We all spend at least some of our time each day sitting down, whether it’s when we are working or watching the television, but research shows that too much sitting can be bad for our heart. We should ideally aim to sit down for no more than 8 hours each day, but this can be difficult, especially if we have a desk-based job. Here are some tips on how to be more active:

Set a Movement Reminder If you are working at a desk, try setting an alarm once every hour to get up and move. This could be as simple as walking to get a glass of water or doing a few star-jumps on the spot! Vary Your Workspace If you have access to a standing desk, this can be a great way to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting down. If not, there are lots of ways that you can still change your work setup, such as by using a raised surface like a kitchen worktop, or by placing your laptop on a sturdy box. Take Active Breaks Taking a short walk on a lunch break can be a great way to take your mind off your work, enhance your energy levels and get your heart pumping. Get Creative Setting cues can help to remind us to move during the day. A fun and creative way to do this is to label each door in your house with an exercise such as squats, star jumps or jogging, and every time you walk through each door, you do the exercise labelled on that door.

For more tips like this, please visit www.heartresearch.org.uk/ health-tips To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: heartresearch.org.uk/heartresearch-uk-recipes-2 Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers: heartresearch.org.uk/heartresearch-uk-cookbook

If you’d like to support Heart Research UK’s vital work into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease, please visit www.heartresearch.org.uk for inspiration on how you could help.

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