Scared Sitless: The Office Fitness Book

by Larry Swanson, Joan Vernikos (Foreword)

"Scared Sitless" offers an antidote to "sitting disease," that surprising new affliction which results when we plop down on our derrieres for hours on end. It may not actually be "the new smoking," as so many headlines claim, but the consequences of our sedentary ways are definitely catching up with us. Fortunately, the remedy is Develop better office fitness habits to sit less and move more.This book sets out the science behind "sitting disease" and shows you how to fight it."Studies of the ills of prolonged sitting have mushroomed in the last three years. Yet office work that for most of us takes up a good part of the day has barely been touched. Larry tackles this vacuum in his book. He does this effectively, comprehensively, and with humor." - from the foreword to the book by former NASA Life Sciences Director Joan Vernikos and author of "Sitting Kills, Moving Heals."It also helps you cope with the muscle aches and pains and other discomfort that can result from a poor ergonomics set-up and sub-optimal posture. Ergonomics is all too often an annual ritual visit from someone in HR, or a one-time intervention when you get a new desk. Taking charge of your own ergonomics situation can help keep you comfortable and productive every day, not just in the few days after you get your new keyboard. Likewise, cultivating a little more postural awareness at work can keep you from curling up into that pillbug posture that so often comes with desk work.Naturally, exercise and movement are an important component of office fitness. The book shows you how to add more routine movement to your work day and how to do "no-sweat workouts" right at your desk, as well as home and gym workouts tailored to your unique needs as an office worker.Ideally, you want your new office fitness behaviors to become automatic, so there's a whole chapter that shows you how to turn them into habits. Like all of the book, the habit chapter draws on the latest research and best practices to give you an evidence-based action plan for staying fit and healthy at work.

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 29, 2014

Reviews

[Jo Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great! It is well written and easy to understand--it explained the "why" behind exercises previously recommended to me by physical therapists. It offers lots of easy-to-put-into-practice ideas, exercises and tips to help with posture and comfort in the work cubicle. I will be sharing lots of what I learned with colleagues in my workplace and massage clients. There are web links to specific exercises to counterbalance postural issues from sitting too much. This is a fantastic resource for cultivating more grace and ease in the movement of our bodies.

[J.G. Follansbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my dad used to yell at me to "Get off your ass!", he was trying to tell me something. Sitting in front of a TV, and later sitting in front of a computer, was bad for my health. Larry Swanson puts my dad's advice into much more scientific and thoughtful terms, but the message is the same. Sitting all day is killing people, and the solution is relatively simple: Get up, move around, and you'll feel better. I highly recommend this book for people looking for straightforward ideas on improving health in today's office environment.

[Dejan Simic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful book!

Plenty of tips that can improve your quality of life Highly recommended!

Plenty of tips to improve your quality of life Highly recommended!

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent overview of "sitting disease," discussing both concerns based on solid research and ways to address those concerns. The sense of humor implied by the title is present throughout the book, making it more entertainingly readable than I expected.