Tuesday, June 4, 2013

TED Tuesday: Take a Walk

Before you get settled and comfortable, I'd like to ask you to grab your mobile device and go for a walk while reading this post today. If you're unable to read it while taking a walk, at least stand up or get moving. You don't want to be sitting down for the next five minutes and I promise the video is short!


Today's journey through TED wonderland tells us that the average American sits more hours a day than they sleep, and combined sitting and sleeping make up more than 2/3 of your day. I'm an avid believer in standing at my desk throughout the workday and only sitting for moments of deep concentration or when I previously would eat lunch at my desk. Not anymore, friends!


This weekend through all of the airport travel, it amazed me to see how many people sat at their departure gates waiting to get on their flights. Did they not realize that they would be sitting without a personal bubble for a few hours in the air, that they'd have no access to fresh air for duration of the flight, that this was their opportunity to stretch their legs, that sitting is killing them? Dan and I both had the itch to move around and get some airport antics underway as evidenced by our back to back photo shares all night Sunday.



I think you'll like Nilofer's brevity and clear call to action in today's TED Talk.


She shares her secret and invites the rest of us to begin asking people on 'walking meetings' rather than the traditional meeting over coffee, drinks, lunch or in a stale fluorescent-lit conference room.


Fresh air leads to fresh ideas and a different setting can open the door to out of the box thinking. Ultimately, it can lead to better health for you, your colleagues and future generations.


[ted id=1726]


TED Talks: Ideas worth spreading


heart JE

5 comments

Rachel Sedaker said...

I love this! I love that you're sharing Ted Talks on Tuesdays- it's such a great program, filled with so many neat ideas. This one is a small idea, but I think it could have a huge impact.

aubrielegault said...

"Getting out of the box will lead to out of the box thinking..." I may not have the quote EXACT but I enjoyed what she said and I enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing this video and I liked how you told people to get up and walk while they read your post. (I have to admit, that I didn't. But I already swam and did a "dryland" work out this morning plus in about 30 mins. I'm going to work where I walk my butt off. So I figured I was okay. lol)

Kira said...

I never really considered how silly it is to sit at your gate at the airport. You are so right. Why would I want to do that?

Macey Snelson said...

First of all, I love TED talks, and second of all, I love THIS TED talk! Sitting is the devil!

brooke lyn said...

I reallllllllllly, really wish i had a standing desk!