The Sedentary Rollergirl

In the 9 years I have been skating my weight has gone up and down like a YO YO. I have cross trained like a fool and I have been a couch potato. I have had injury and rehab. I have done about every fad and good diet out there. I even did the Ultimate Cleanse before my wedding a few years back. I often think, I should be thinner with all this skating I do and cross training a few days a week outta do it. Right? I also use the fact that I skate as an excuse to be lazy and watch TV or take naps.

I skate/practice 2-4 times a week. I coach on skates 2-4 times a week. I cross train 2-4 times a week.

Well, after some years of frustrating weight gain and what I thought was lack of discipline on my part or bad genetics I decided to do some more research after hearing just a snippet of something on the radio about working out might not be enough if and I might have a.... SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE!!!

After a lot of research I have come to a conclusion or hypothesis or epiphany or something...


It is my own definition of a "sedentary rollergirl"

YOU DON'T MOVE A LOT OUTSIDE OF DERBY

Answer yourself these questions...

1 - do you sit more than 4 - 6 hours a day at work?
2 - do you watch more than 2 hours of TV a day?
3 - do you have a long commute?
4 - do your leisure activities include eating out (sitting) or movies (sitting)?
5 - do you use derby as an excuse to be lazy in other parts of your life?

check,check, check, check AND check!

OH SNAP!!! I HAVE A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE!!!

Here are my facts:

*I sit for 9 hours a day with hardly any movement (even though I have a stand up desk. I hardly ever stand.) SITTING!
*I watch about 2 hours of TV a day, more on weekends. If I am not watching TV I am often on the computer or playing video games. ALSO SITTING.
*And I have a LONG commute (30-40 minutes for work/practice) MORE SITTING!
*I do go to lots of movies and eat out a lot. YUP - THAT IS SITTING!
*I do use my hot tub a lot. HEY THAT IS SITTING TOO!!!
*I make excuses... say that again. I MAKE EXCUSES to be lazy. I SIT WHEN I CAN SIT.

Last January I started to work nine 9 hour days so I can have every other Friday off. So I really am at my desk 9 - 10 hours on most days. I often SIT IN ONE SPOT for 3-4 hours without moving to even get a FREE CUP OF DELICIOUS STARBUCKS COFFEE or use the restroom. I SIT. SIT and MORE SIT. I almost never have meetings to walk to. Just SIT SIT SIT.

When I do take advantage of my stand up desk it is usually only for a few minutes like ONCE a day.

One day I wore my skates at work. Which is allowed as long as I don't roll around too much. They said I can stand in them at my desk if I wanted. I did. But only once.

The research shows that even if you work out a few times a week (3-5 times even), having an overall sedentary lifestyle can increase weight, depression and many diseases. It can also significantly shorten your life.

And I am pretty sure it is NOT good for my roller derby game.

This maybe one of the reasons I always seem to have a fighting battle with my weight. Not just because I am older (which yes, at 41 does have a little bit to do with it) but because when I was younger I was a waitress, running around all the time and went dancing almost every night.

NOT SITTING - NOT SITTING - NOT SITTING

The PLAN:

I am going to get me one of those steps counter thingys to see if I can increase my daily steps. I am also going to bring my spare skates to work and just leave them here and wear them a bit every day (first I got to get the plate fixed). I am going take advantage of my stand up desk and take the stairs more.

Here are some easy things you can do if you have a sit down job and a sedentary lifestyle.

1 – Get a stand up desk if possible and stand often
2 – Do more yard work – and more house work
3 – Park far away and walk
4 – Take stairs instead of elevator
5 – Put on some music and dance
6 – Stretch / yoga / stand on Bosu while watching TV
7 – On breaks at work take a little walk - anywhere
8 – If on bus take the stop before or after yours and walk a little
9 – Walk around while on the phone
10 – At work every 30 minutes just stand up and stretch

11 - wear your skates if they let you!!!!!

This is not to say that CROSS TRAINING IS NOT NEEDED! Or that you can cut down on rink time if you move more. It is to say our bodies were made to be in motion. So BE IN MOTION!

****** THE SIMPLE FACT OF ROLLER DERBY IS THE BETTER SHAPE YOU ARE IN - THE MORE "FIT" YOU ARE - THE BETTER ROLLER DERBY PLAYER YOU WILL BE********

(please note I didn't say "skinny" I said "better shape" and "fit" meaning overall health)

You don't have to read all these links and stuff if you don't want to because I already did that for you but these are the main sites where I gathered most of the info. There are TONS of sites out there on Sedentary Lifestyles. It is an epidemic and can kill you. Or shorten your life. Or give you a spare tire. So get out there and move your body. Move it lots. Move it often. Move to be fit. Move for life. Move for happiness.

***I will write a follow up blog in a month or so to see if MOVING is helping me or if the internet lies.


WEB REFERENCES:
http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/a-sedentary-lifestyle-can-harm-you-even-if-you-exercise

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/even-with-exercise-long-periods-spent-sedentary-are-deemed-a-health-risk/2011/07/07/gIQAicwRAI_story.html

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/sedentary-lifestyle-hazards

http://www.npr.org/2012/05/09/152336802/stand-up-walk-around-even-just-for-20-minutes

http://dapa-toolkit.mrc.ac.uk/physical-activity-assessment/sedentary-behaviours/index.html