Physical recovery from binge TV-watching gets harder as we get older

I work remotely 80-90 hours a week using my laptop (this is important: your screen needs to be mobile). Here's how I currently try to keep my body moving:

- I don't have a desk or chair. I have a bar table and a stool. This makes a huge difference. I get uncomfortable sitting on the stool after about 30 minutes, so I get off. Then I'll stand at the bar table and work for an hour or two. When I get tired of that, I'll spend a minute or two doing a physical activity (see below).

- I try to work from different physical places, e.g., cafes, different places in the house when nobody is home, the steps outside, the floor, the hammock hanging by the lake. I make it a game to come up with new and novel places to work from that don't require a lot of travel time (unless I'm walking—then it's well-spent travel time), anything to change the physical position of my body while working (and hopefully something that gets uncomfortable within an hour so I'm pushed to change again).

- I have a sandbag next to the bar table that I'll pick up at random times throughout the day and do squats, deadlifts, bent-over rows, or just carry the 60lb thing up the stairs or out around the yard once. I'll also use it as a weight to hold my feet while I do sit-ups. I have a pull-up bar hanging between two trees outside.

- I don't watch TV. In fact, I try to avoid anything that involves the sitting position. If I have to sit, I prefer the floor, or if I'm watching a movie or reading a book, I prefer laying down. If it's something for a few minutes and I can stand, I'll stand.

I've been doing this for about a year now and it's the best I've ever felt while working this much. What I'd like to start mixing in are some runs or long walks, but right now it's a choice between those or getting sufficient sleep. I prioritize sleep.

Though the headline does not say so, I presume that this 'toll' is only contributed to by the prolonged sitting; the "binge TV-viewing" presumably is only harmful to "ability to walk" inasmuch as it is correlated with an increased amount of prolonged sitting.

One assumes that binge tv-viewing would take no toll on ability to walk (or even be beneficial to it) if one was walking on a treadmill whilst watching television?

As my wife (an ER nurse) says: "Motion is the lotion"...

But seriously: Keep moving folks! Immobility is a co-morbidity with so many other illnesses. Find something you love to do that makes you move and keep at it!

Truism: Recovery from X gets harder as we get older.

Yes, you need to walk some each day, like a mile or more, go up and down some steps, etc.

There are muscles located between your butt and back, like the erectors and the upper part of the gluteals. Exercise them and you will feel better.

Ignore the first part of the article, but do the first 4 exercises at least: https://www.t-nation.com/training/awaken-the-glute-monster

I sit most of the days but I also take about 12-20k steps/day walking. So basically whenever I don't sit around in front of a computer I move.

Is that really so bad? I mean you have to rest sometimes.

>> "When you have your own business, you have a little more flexibility," she says. "But I'll tell you one thing that's constant — that's eight hours, at least, of looking at the screen and sitting in the chair." <<

Above quote is from the case study at the end of the article. Just wondering about tablets/phones and moving people away from the PC with screen.

Anecdotal Observation 1: My daily journey involves a local train ride from a large main station. The inquiry staff no longer sit at desks in a counter/office. They have 'stands' around the concourse and use tablets to query the national timetable system. The same people help with the barriers when there are problems &c. They are moving most of the day.

Anecdotal Observation 2: Teaching: this time of year we are advising and assessing large numbers of prospective students. Used to be rows of PCs/monitors. Now again, tablets in use and colleagues just use their phones. Far more mobile and a lot less queuing up to see people &c.

Just wondering about 'business logic' applications on a tablet? Just do your stuff while walking about?

I'm curious to know if using a standing desk for four to five hours a day (but not moving around much) is equally unhealthy.

According to this article, the study found those who watch 5 or more hours of TV a day while sitting were 65% more likely to lose mobility in the period tested than those who watch < 2 hours per day, controlling for all other variables. I am skeptical the study was able to control for all other variables. Maybe those who watch 5 or more hours of TV a day are less likely to get activity during the day e.g. from taking the stairs, making dinner, chores, etc. To be frank, these sound like exceptionally lazy humans. They may be less likely to cook for themselves and eat healthy meals, or to take good care of themselves in other ways also. It's hard to control a study like this for all possible complicating factors. What is clear is that if you're sitting and watching TV with all your free time instead of being active, that's probably not healthy, but hey, it's your life.

Even though I sit all day and most of the evening, my 40 minute commute is mostly standing and walking, and I get up every half an hour or so to make a cup of tea, or to stretch, or so look out of the window for a minute (it helps my eyes...)

I'm hoping that's enough to make a difference

What about sitting for eight hours straight and then doing a hard workout afterwards? Is that still bad?

If it's a low baseline, a 65% increase might not be all that bad!:-p

I once went on vacation for two weeks where I spent the entire day watching TV. I watched more than 26 episodes of TV shows every day from 8AM to 11PM. I could marathon through short shows within a day. I never regretted anything other than poor streaming quality.

I never felt lonely because of the magic of the internet allowing me to watch movies and TV shows with internet strangers as if it were movie night, the entire day, everyday.

I regret nothing, except maybe the streaming quality and not making my own clone of that proprietary service (rabb.it).

I sit most of the day but not to binge TV-view. Do I need to be concerned?

Sitting all day is bad for you? Huh..

From the it-ought-to-be-obvious department.

It sounds obvious but certain countries seem to need the hot coffee warning. A UK friend messaged me from Disneyland Florida yesterday with message 'Its unbelievable the amount of people in electric buggies, its almost as if 25% of population have given up on idea of walking'.