Podcasts about deskbound standing up

Dr. Kelly Starrett is the man behind Mobility WOD and the author of Ready to Run: Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally, Becoming a Supple Leopard 2nd Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance and his latest book is called Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World which is mostly what we talked about today. What struck me as interesting was that it didn't matter really how much you excercise, if you sit for a long time each day. I'm big into personal fitness, exercise, sports and outdoor activities. I love to surf, play basketball, tennis, go hiking, do jiu-jitsu and basically anything outdoors and fun. I also love working out in the gym or in the backyard but none of that has any effect on our health if we sit for hours on end each day. That was a blow to my ideas because I thought I could just workout more or harder if I sat for a long time. Turns out that's not the case. At the beginning of the show I referenced an article I wrote which can be found by clicking here. With that said, sitting is dangerous not because sitting is in and of itself bad but it's because you're not active, your body is sedentary for hours at a time and this is not natural. Human beings were not designed this way. We're designed to move. We're designed to experience this 3d physical reality through the movement of our bodies. I hope this show inspires you to look into getting a standing desk. The one I have can be found here and there are many available over on Amazon.com as well. One Last Thing! As always your support via your donations and bookmarking our Amazon link to use each time you purchase is how we keep our show going. Thank you for bookmarking our Amazon link even if you're not buying anything right now! :) Sponsor For This Episode: Bellicon Rebounder Rapid Release Pro 2 Shop on Amazon Shop Our Store Member's Site (coming soon!) Products Related To This Episode: We are now commercial free but only if you click here to support us to keep making commercial free shows! :) Ozone Generator From Truly Heal - Watch The Ozone Webinar SOL CBD Oil Relax FAR Infrared Sauna Sacred Seed Oils Qigong Program Annmarie Gianni Skincare Berkey Water Filters Extrema Chemical Free Cookware BARF World Raw Dog Food Squatty Potty stools - see in store Surthrival products - see in store Thrive Market Find Extreme Health Radio On: [include file=showpage-itunes-soundcloud-stitcher.html] Please Subscribe: Subscribe To Our Radio Show For Updates! Listen to other shows with this guest. Show Guest: Kelly Starrett Guest Info: Kelly Starrett is a coach, physical therapist, author, speaker, and co-founder of MobilityWOD.com, which has revolutionized how athletes think about human movement and athletic performance. His first book, Becoming A Supple Leopard, is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestseller and was one of the 100 Most Notable Books of 2013 on Amazon. Kelly also co-owns San Francisco Crossfit - one of the first 25 Crossfit affiliates - with his wife and partner Juliet. He is the co-author of Ready to Run, which will be available 10/21/14 and Deskbound, available in July 2015. Guest Website(s): http://www.mobilitywod.com Guest Product(s): Please Support Us If You Are Able: (Opens in a new window - Every bit helps us to keep delivering even better shows that help you heal & thrive!) Radio Show Transcript: [spp-transcript]

When it comes to mobility, Kelly Starrett is the man. The topic was almost taboo when he starting teaching the CrossFit community about it. Now he's working with elite athletes and teams in nearly every sport around the world. On this week's podcast he joins us to talk about how we need to reframe the conversation around mobility and rethink youth development. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: http://www.hmmrmedia.com/2021/01/hmmr-podcast-episode-240-the-mobility-man-with-kelly-starrett/ » Support the show: join HMMR PLUS to get full access to our coaching resources. More notes: This episode is brought to you by HMMR Plus. This month's site theme is mobility, and we've got plenty of new articles, videos, and podcasts on the topic. Become a member for full access to our videos, articles, and podcast archives. You can learn more from Starrett on Instagram (@thereadystate), Twitter (@thereadystate). The Ready State offers free trial membership on their website, as well as a great podcast. Starrett is the author of several books, including Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance, Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World, and Ready to Run: Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally. Two of our HMMR Classroom videos look in depth at training mobility: Lesson 24: Mobility sets with Steve Myrland and Joe Przytula and GAIN Video 1: Sticks and straps with Steve Myrland. Some new articles last week also looked further at mobility: What’s in a word: why we need to think beyond flexibility and mobility by Steve Myrland and What I think about when I think about mobility by Martin Bingisser.

If you pay attention to mobility for peak performance then you've probably heard of Kelly Starrett from The Ready State (formerly MobilityWOD). Kelly is a wealth of knowledge. He has spent over 10,000 hours as a movement and mobility coach for players in the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA, Olympic gold medalists, and other world-class athletes. He is also a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Kelly is also the author of several books including the NYT bestseller Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance and Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World.  He has been on more podcasts than I can count including Tim Ferriss and Joe Rogan, so if this is the first time you've heard of Kelly, I encourage you to go deeper!  Another fun fact is that he is 2x National Champion in whitewater rafting. "Mobility has 2 components... does my body have the raw biomechanics to have the ability to achieve the shapes native to human beings?  What is typical ROM? Do I have the skill tp express those positions?"  Does my brain understand what good shapes and good technique is. And secondarily, can I get into that shape?"  The problem with traditional stretching is you pull passively on tissues. What's wrong with it is the brain is not involved with the process and we are not taking a systems approach- more than one component may be limiting our ability to move.  Take a systematic approach to restore our movement mapped with technique." A note from Kelly Starrett, DPT: What exactly is “mobility,” anyway? We define “mobility” based on two components. First, you should be able to put your body into any pose or shape that is normal for a human being. In other words, you should have access to the full range-of-motion for the human body. But having access is not enough. The second aspect of mobility is that you need to actually be able to achieve those positions in real life. In other words, you need to have the motor control skills to actualize your complete range-of-motion. How is mobility different from stretching? To be blunt, stretching is not an effective way to restore your body's range-of- motion. When you follow traditional stretching practices, all you do is passively pull on your tissues. But it turns out there is a lot more to restoring full range-of-motion than that. First, stretching doesn't get your brain involved. And remember, even if your body has full range-of-motion, you don't have true “mobility” until your brain develops the motor control to actually express that range-of-motion. Also, unlike mobilizing, stretching does not look at your body as a system. It neglects key factors like your joints and sliding surfaces. Mobility takes a systems approach to restoring your range-of-motion. It accounts for all the varied ways your body can lose its natural ability to move. Mobilizing restores your joints, sliding surfaces, soft tissue, and even blood flow. Plus it helps you develop the motor control you need to express that range-of-motion in your daily life. Topics Discussed in the Podcast  defining what actually is an injury and what isn't using pain as information pushing through pain and when it's okay cycling dysfunctions- knee pain yep, foam rolling is good how to breathe nose breathing, CO2 tolerance drills Listen Now   Resources Checkout The Ready State Support our awesome sponsors! The best organic non-GMO sprouting seeds are Sproutman!  They've been in business since 1977.   SaneBox     Get control over your email with minimal effort and a program that is super easy to use! (and it learns what you teach it too!)  Use my referral link to get a $25 credit applied to their account on top of their 14-day free trial!       __________________________________ 2 Ways to Give Back to the Show     ________________________________________________   Don't Miss an Episode: Subscribe!              

Author’s note: This ‘Ultimate Guide’ is a collection of over a decade of research, experimentation, and many of my past articles on the topic of living a less sedentary lifestyle. This guide is also based on many conversations with the world’s foremost experts on proper ergonomics, the dangers of being sedentary, and the benefits of more consistent movement throughout the day. There’s A LOT of information in this guide to help you build a healthy workstation and move more during your day. If you’d prefer to have this guide as a PDF you can reference for later use, Click here to download this ‘Ultimate Guide’ as a PDF. Working a very sedentary career as a Hollywood film & tv editor, I have spent the last two decades figuring out how to stay active all day long despite living in front of a computer (in the dark) . Fifteen years ago when I traded in my super-fancy Herman Miller Aeron chair for a $20 exercise ball as my primary desk chair, people laughed at me. Ten years ago when I invested $3000 in a motorized height-adjustable workstation for my home office, people thought I was crazy. And five years ago when I moved in a desk treadmill, a doorway pull-up bar, and kettlebells to my office at Empire, people snickered thinking I had lost my mind. Luckily a lot has changed in the last five years. But a lot hasn’t changed as well. While it’s true that people are becoming much more conscious about the fact that sitting is slowly killing us, they are still often seeking the wrong solutions. The most common question I’m still asked to this day is: “I want to invest in the best ergonomic office chair on the market for the sake of my health. What should I buy?” This question is encouraging because it means people are (finally) recognizing that you can have a successful career because you invest in your health, not despite prioritizing your health ahead of your career. But it’s also frustrating because it’s completely the WRONG question to ask. If you do a search via Dr. Google for the “healthiest office chairs,” the #1 option (if budget is no object) is the Herman Miller ‘Embody’ Chair. And it costs just under $1500. Even more extreme, for those with ample funds to spend (who aren’t terrified of the film WALL-E becoming our reality), there is even a workstation that allows you to lie down while you work...if you’re willing to drop over $8500. Clearly if I spent over $3k on a motorized standing desk a decade ago I have no problem investing in technology that will make my work environment healthier and more ergonomically friendly. But the last thing I would ever spend a single dollar on is a chair that is so comfortable it encourages me to sit (or lie down) for hours on end without moving. Do not make the cardinal mistake of thinking that “ergonomic” and “healthy” are synonyms. An “ergonomically friendly” desk chair like the Herman Miller Embody Chair will absolutely reduce lower back pain and discomfort...but unless you’re moving throughout your day, it’s still slowly killing you. Here’s the hard truth: The probability is over 70%1 that you are sitting as you read this ultimate guide. You were probably sitting for the 60 minutes before reading this ultimate guide, and you will probably sit for the vast majority of your day after reading this ultimate guide. (Full disclaimer: I’m also sitting as I write this ultimate guide) We sit at the breakfast table. Then we sit in our cars (or buses...or trains) until we get to work. Avoiding the stairs, we then take the elevator until we land at our desk chairs. Then after between 6-12 hours of sitting at our desks, we then sit in our cars on the way back home. Exhausted from a “crazy day” we then sit at the table while eating dinner (yeah right...more like the couch). Then we decompress by binge-watching the latest and greatest Netflix drama until we collapse into bed (wishing we had stopped three episodes earlier). Rinse. Lather. Repeat for 30 years. Between sitting an average of 13 hours per day and sleeping an average of 8 hours per night (8 hours...yeah right): Americans are sedentary for an average of 21 hours per day2. There has to be a better way, right? Right????? Despite thinking that ‘The Perfect Chair’ will eliminate your discomfort, there’s nothing healthy about sitting in the proper ergonomic position for 12-16 hours a day. The best ergonomic position is always your next position. Josh Kerst, Ergonomist The key to building a healthier workstation is combining proper ergonomics with consistent movement. Only with the right equipment AND the right habits can you truly have a “Healthy Workstation.” The good news is you can redesign your entire work environment, your workstation, your chair, your habits, and the tools around you all for the price of a fancy office chair. And you don’t even have to do the research...because I’ve done it for you. What’s In This Ultimate Guide? If you’ve decided you are ready to make a substantial investment in upgrading your work environment for the sake of your health, your creativity, and your well-being, before buying “the perfect desk chair,” here is the ultimate guide to building a healthier, more active, and more ergonomically friendly workstation...all for the price of a fancy desk chair. This guide is working under the assumption your budget is $1500 (roughly the cost of the Herman Miller Embody Chair mentioned above). If your budget is substantially lower, I have broken this guide down to what I believe are the “Essentials,” and I have provided as many budget-friendly options as possible. Simply mix & match the many tools from this guide to fill your most pressing needs first, then over time slowly invest in more tools as you start building in the proper daily habits to use them. TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Movement* (But Were Afraid to Ask) I. Why “Sedentary Is the New Smoking” (Not Sitting) II. Why Movement Is So Important For Your Health & Creativity III. Why Standing (and even Exercise) Isn’t Enough PART 2: The Gearhead’s Guide to the Best Equipment Available to Keep You Moving (And Alive) IV. The Essential ‘Must-Haves’ For Both Sitting & Standing V. Tools to Reduce Chronic Discomfort & Pain VI. Tools to Increase Strength (and Burn Calories!!!) PART 3: It’s Not Just About the Tools...It’s About Using Them Consistently VII. How to Modify Your Daily Habits to Make Activity Effortless Appendix: Expert Interviews & Additional Articles AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase some of the following products below (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. PART I: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Movement* (But Were Afraid to Ask) Before diving right into all the cool tools I recommend for living a more active (and pain-free) life in front of your workstation, it would be irresponsible if I didn’t provide at least a brief overview that explains why being sedentary is so detrimental to your health, your creativity, and ultimately your lifespan. And conversely, it’s also vital to explain on a scientific level why movement throughout your workday is so important to optimize your creativity (not to mention your physical and mental health). And if you think you get a free pass because you already have a standing desk, or because you “hit the gym” once in a while or even regularly...keep reading. I. Why “Sedentary Is the New Smoking” (Not Sitting) If you have a working internet connection, you’ve most likely come across the headline ‘Sitting Is the New Smoking.’ This sensationalist phrase, as coined by Dr. James Levine, director of the Mayo Clinic at Arizona State University, is everywhere. Yes the statistics are downright terrifying. Chronic sitting and a lack of physical activity can lead to an increased risk of: Type 2 diabetes3 Cardiovascular disease4  Breast cancer5 and kidney disease in women6 Colon cancer in men7 Oh yeah….early death for people 35 yrs and older8 But like a frog slowly boiling in water, you don’t realize anything is wrong until it’s too late. According to Dr. Levine: Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death. What’s most alarming to me about all of these studies as they relate to those of us who work in creative fields is they warn people of the negative and deadly consequences of sitting up to 6-8 hours per day. Seriously? 6-8 hours? 6-8 hours is a half day for most creative professionals. It’s not like I’m going to write, “You should be moving more throughout the day,” and you’re going to say, “Wait, what? You mean I need to be more active? Huzzah!” But knowing that sitting is bad clearly isn’t enough to motivate people. The question is given the complete and total lack of free time in the constantly-moving busyness of the 21st century, what alternative do you have? According to the media and the multi-billion dollar fitness industry, you essentially have two options: Option #1: Do absolutely nothing, sit all day long, eat poorly, become fat, ugly, unattractive, and then die. Option #2: Exercise 6 days a week (everyone needs a “rest day” after all), eat an impeccable vegan/paleo/Mediterranean diet, and become one of those amazing “Before and After” pictures you see on late-nite infomercials. There is a giant chasm in between these two options that I like to call “Everybody else.” The problem is there’s nothing sexy about taking a flight of stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. You can’t make gazillions of dollars selling “moderate long-term lifestyle change.” Yet the vast majority of people fail to reach their exercise goals or complete their fitness programs because success is measured by long-term results, and results like losing 30 pounds don’t happen overnight. Here’s the secret nobody tells you: You don’t have to go to they gym every single day to be considered, “healthy,” but you do need to move more. That’s the brilliance of reframing your mindset from “I have to exercise,” to “I need to move more throughout my day.” Unlike “all or nothing” exercise programs, when you make the conscious choice to be more active, the benefits are profound and (almost) immediate. To be clear before moving forwards, I’m not saying you shouldn’t exercise. In fact, I highly recommend it if you have a pulse. But if you are working 14 hours a day and trying to raise a family, getting to the gym or doing a round of P90X every single day just isn’t a realistic expectation. There has to be a middle ground. Shockingly, our genes expect us to move 10-14 miles per day9. PER DAY. If you’re already counting your steps with a Fitbit or similar technology, you know that 10,000 is the magic number recommended by the American Heart Association10. That’s roughly 5 miles per day, less than half of the movement our bodies and minds expect, according to our genetic code. Here’s why this is terrifying if you rely on your creativity for a living - your brain functions very similar to a muscle. With lack of activity, your brain will atrophy. And conversely… The more you feed your brain, the more it will grow. The best way to feed your brain the fuel it needs to function at an optimal level (i.e. oxygen) is consistent movement. II. Why Movement Is So Important For Your Health & Creativity When you move, especially when you do quick bursts of high intensity exercise, even for as little as 60 seconds, your brain releases the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. So every bout of activity is like taking a small dose of Prozac and Ritalin mixed together. Exercise has been proven beyond the shadow of a doubt to help people regulate their anxiety, depression, and their attention issues11. As someone who has suffered from adult ADD since college, I’ve been down the prescription drug road, and I took Adderall for a short time to manage my attention issues. Having also managed my depression, anxiety, and attention issues with exercise and activity, I can tell you firsthand that perpetual motion throughout the day is a much better long term solution for me. SIDE NOTE: Just to be clear, I am not giving medical advice of any kind, especially when it comes to taking medication or choosing to eliminate medications in exchange for increased activity. So please make sure to consult your physician first before changing how you manage your own medication. I am just sharing my personal story with you to give you some personal perspective. According to Dr. John Ratey, author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain: “A massive Dutch study of 19,288 twins and their families published in 2006 showed that exercisers are less anxious, less depressed, less neurotic, and also more socially outgoing. A Finnish study of 3,403 people in 1999 showed that those who exercise at least two to three times a week experience significantly less depression, anger, stress, and “cynical distrust” than those who exercise less or not at all.” Beyond the release of neurotransmitters, the other very important chemical that is released during movement and exercise is called BDNF, or brain-derived neurotrophic factor. The reason this is so important is because BDNF is considered “Miracle-Gro for the brain,” meaning the more of it that is released, the faster your new neural connections can grow, the better your memory becomes, the faster you can learn new information, and thus ultimately become smarter over time. “In a 2007 study of humans, German researchers found that people learn vocabulary words 20 percent faster following exercise than they did before exercise, and that the rate of learning correlated directly with levels of BDNF. Along with that, people with a gene variation that robs them of BDNF are more likely to have learning deficiencies. Without Miracle-Gro, the brain closes itself off to the world,” according to Ratey. Furthermore, in my podcast interview with Dr. John Ratey, he cites a study done in Sweden with 1.2 million boys, and they found a definitive connection between fitness and cognition. Even when they tested identical twins, they found that the less active of the two had lower cognitive scores. Beyond your creativity, perhaps your second most important professional investment (especially if you are a film editor like me) is your ability to retain information. If you have 40 hours of raw footage to review and then ultimately edit into a 42 minute episode of television, you better have systems in place to make sure you can retain as much of your raw footage as possible and synthesize your creative ideas into a finished product. According to Dr. Joan Vernikos, the former head of the life sciences division at NASA, as well as the author of Sitting Kills, Moving Heals: “When you are either sitting or lying down, your body is experiencing gravity in a very similar fashion as being weightless in space.” When the force of gravity is no longer present on the human body: Your muscles and your bones begin to atrophy Blood circulation is reduced to the brain and your brain is deprived of oxygen Triglycerides increase (fats in the blood) and you become insulin resistant (meaning that your body goes into a pre-diabetic state) Inflammation in the body increases Your metabolism slows to burning as little as 1 calorie per minute As depressing as this sounds, I only bring it up because if you move more throughout the day, the opposite of every single item listed above becomes true. Movement every 20-30 minutes, even as simple as just standing up and sitting right back down, interrupts the negative effects of sitting. So it’s not really so much about the fact that you’re sitting… “What’s important is how much time you are sitting without interruption.” Therefore the more you are able to move throughout the day and protect your brain, the better your ability to make creative decisions, the more money you are ultimately able to earn, and the better you can provide for your family. Time to get a standing desk and a gym membership, right? Not so fast. Learn more about the effects of gravity and living a sedentary lifestyle on your health in my podcast interview with NASA Scientist Dr. Joan Vernikos. III. Why Standing (and even Exercise) Isn’t Enough In my podcast interview with Ben Greenfield, one of the world’s foremost health & fitness experts, we discuss in detail what is happening to your body at the physiological level when you sit for long periods during the day and why sitting can lead to all of the aforementioned health risks. But more importantly we also discuss why there is nothing inherently wrong with sitting. Placing your body in a seated position is not doing any serious damage in and of itself, the serious damage comes when your body is chronically in the same position with little or no movement for 60-90 minutes or more at a time. The negative health consequences of being sedentary for more than 60-90 minutes apply to any position…including standing. (Click here to learn everything that science knows about standing desks) In short, if you are standing all day: You are going to burn more calories. You will most likely increase your HDL cholesterol (aka the ‘good’ cholesterol). You may lose a little weight. You’ll probably be in a better mood. And even cooler, standing has an anti-aging benefit12. And while there isn’t a ton of scientific research to back this up, I will argue that you are more creatively engaged and can maintain focus for longer periods of time. As Walter Murch said in our podcast together, being a film editor (like many other highly creative professions) is a combination of being a surgeon, an orchestra conductor, and a short order cook…all of whom stand while working. Don’t get me wrong, a standing workstation is a great start. But don’t pat yourself on the back thinking you’ve solved all of your health problems just because you’re standing all day. Unfortunately, standing for 12 hours in front of your workstation will only make you marginally healthier in the long run because you are still sedentary. In fact, some have even gone so far as to claim that standing desks are mostly bullshit. What I’ve found from years of personal experience is that if you stand to avoid the chronic pain associated with sitting, you are only shifting the pain to different places in the body, especially if you don’t know how to make the transition correctly. Ask any orthopedist or chiropractor (don’t worry, you don’t have to, I already have), they’ll tell you the standing desk movement hasn’t lessened their number of regular clients, it’s just changed the problems they have. So I guess that means finding more hours in the day to exercise, right? Here’s where it gets really frustrating. Even if you have miraculously found an extra hour before or after work to jog, bike, or even throw in some HIIT training, you still aren’t offsetting the negative effects of being sedentary for the vast majority of your day13. Don’t get me wrong, exercise is fantastic for you and you should be doing it, but you can’t use the excuse that it’s okay to sit for 12 hours because you exercised. According to biomechanist Katy Bowman, author of the fantastic book Move Your DNA, you may actually be increasing your risk for cardiac issues by sitting all day and then jamming in a workout at night. By sitting all day you are restricting blood flow and circulation through your blood vessels, and when you suddenly try to pump enormous amounts of blood through these vessels very quickly, it’s like trying to run water through a kinked hose. You may end up doing more harm than good. To put into perspective how difficult it is to use exercise to counteract the effects of sitting and/or being sedentary, recent research has shown that it requires at least an hour of intense exercise to offset the negative effects of sitting for 6-7 hours per day14. If you are regularly working a 12 hour shift like many creative professionals, you would need to exercise for almost 2 hours per day to reverse your risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Do you have two hours per day to exercise on top of a 12 hour shift with no lunch break? Me neither. PART 2: The Gearhead’s Guide to the Best Equipment Available to Keep You Moving (And Alive) IV. The Essential ‘Must-Haves’ For Both Sitting & Standing Now that you have a clearer understanding of how being sedentary can damage your body, shorten your lifespan, and inhibit your creativity (not to mention your mental health), and now that it’s clear how beneficial moving more can be to your physical health, mental health, and optimizing your creativity, let’s dive deeper into the rabbit hole and take the first and most important steps to transforming your workstation so you can start moving more! As a film & television editor I don’t have a “full-time” job per se, I move from one project to the next every 5-7 months. Therefore I don’t have my own permanent office to call home. Furthermore, I know many people in my industry and similar creative industries who move around far more than I do, often times changing gigs practically on a weekly basis. Whether you have a permanent office, you move around a few times a year, or you change offices constantly, I have taken into account the varied lifestyles and work environments of creative professionals to provide what I consider the essential ‘must-have’ items I recommend every single person invest in if they want to live a more active lifestyle at the office. In short, if I were moving to a new office (even for one day), I would go crazy if I didn’t have these essential items with me. 1. A Height-Adjustable Desk Working at a seated desk is simply a deal-breaker for me. Not even a question. I just won’t do it. Knowing how detrimental it is to my health and creativity to be sedentary (especially if I’m also not getting any sunlight), I adamantly refuse to sit all day long. Therefore I ALWAYS work at a desk that gives me the option to both sit and stand throughout my day. Ten years ago it wasn’t possible to request a height-adjustable workstation, and if you did, people looked at you cross-eyed because they didn’t know it was even possible to stand at a desk. For those companies and rental houses who were aware that standing desks existed, they would instead play the “budget card” and tell you they couldn’t afford to provide one. Today practically every company has access to height-adjustable workstations at an affordable price, so my first suggestion is simply to ask. If you don’t have a permanent workstation and you move around every few months like me, request a height-adjustable workstation from the rental house equipping your office. They all have them. If you’re successful, your budget for the most important component of your healthy workstation is exactly $0. If you work from home, or if you’ve been told it’s not possible to provide you with a height-adjustable workstation, my #1 recommendation for a budget-friendly yet high quality motorized desk is the ‘SmartDesk2’ from Autonomous.ai (starting at $348 including shipping). -- More Affordable Standing Alternatives -- If a height-adjustable desk is not a possibility either because your company won’t provide you one, they won’t allow you to bring your own, you can’t afford one, or if there simply isn’t space, below are five different options for transforming your existing sitting workstation to standing, no matter your budget (or available space). The Varidesk The Varidesk is the most professional-looking, durable, and most permanent solution. But it’s also the most expensive. If you know you’ll never be provided with a height-adjustable workstation at your job, this is the best investment. If you’re looking for shorter term solutions that cost much less, see below. Milk crates Clearly these are not the best permanent solution, but as a short-term option milk crates are durable, modular, and most importantly...cheap. Bed risers If you’d prefer not to modify the top of your existing workstation and instead raise the whole surface higher, these inexpensive bed risers are the perfect solution. Adjustable laptop table (and paper reams) Another good short-term solution is using an adjustable laptop table to raise up your keyboard and then using paper reams (or cardboard boxes) to raise your monitors to eye-level. Not super pretty, but still a solution. If you want to make it look more professional, throw a little black duvetyne over the boxes and you’re client-ready. The $22 Standing Desk Ikea Hack For less than $25 (and a little elbow grease) you can build platforms for your monitors and your keyboard using a few simple tools from Ikea. Here’s the EXACT shopping list with Ikea part numbers and names (that I usually only provide to my Move Yourself program members). The ‘Spark’ from Ergodriven The ‘Spark’ is definitely not a permanent solution (nor is it terribly pretty), but man is it useful in a pinch. It’s simply a cardboard fold-up version of a Varidesk that folds to roughly the size of a laptop case. Below are some very creative options for converting your workstation from sitting to standing (special thanks to all of my friends who submitted these). It doesn’t have to be pretty...it just needs to get you moving. 2. The ‘SitTight’ Office Chair Despite being known as “The Standing Desk Guy,” I make it a point to change positions constantly throughout my workday, and I still sit at least 25% of the time. But when I sit, I still prefer to stay as active as possible which is why I have literally spent over a decade myself searching for ‘The perfect desk chair,’ and until recently I had to settle on a few different options (all of which I still recommend below). Then I discovered the SitTight (use the coupon code ‘OPTIMIZE’ for 10% OFF), and my world changed overnight. The SitTight turns sitting into an activity that can actually improve your health instead of damaging it. Because of its unique design (think of it like a really comfortable bar stool on top of an inverted Bosu Ball), the SitTight activates the postural muscles in your spine that atrophy when you sit all day long. The activation of these muscles over time can drastically decrease the chronic aches and pains you feel in your lower back. Furthermore, constantly balancing all day increases your heart rate, improves core strength, and most importantly increases your brain activity, ultimately boosting your focus. In short, the SitTight makes sitting at your desk a fun activity! Perhaps the greatest feature of all about the SitTight that makes it my #1 chair recommendation is its versatility. 1) You can sit on it similar to a regular chair: 2) You can also sit on it “Saddle style” if this is more comfortable for your lower back and hips: 3) You can also remove the seat from the base if you find the balance too difficult (or you just want a break): 4) And the coolest combination of all is the marriage of the SitTight base with the Topo Mini (more about the Topo below). This takes your standing workstation to a new level: Learn more about the many benefits of the SitTight in my podcast interview with SitTight creator Scott Bahneman. -- More Affordable Sitting Alternatives -- If the SitTight simply isn’t an option either for budgetary or health reasons, below I have provide my other top recommended “active sitting chairs”: The ‘Mogo’ The Mogo is great for leaning or “perching” so you can remove much of the pressure from your lower back. It’s like having a portable bike seat with you. It breaks down small enough to fit in a backpack so it’s great for traveling, and it’s also very affordable. But it isn’t comfortable enough to use for longer periods throughout the day. The ‘Pivot’ The Pivot is a significant upgrade from the Mogo. Like the Mogo it functions similar to having a portable bar stool that allows you to “perch” in front of your workstation and remove the pressure from your lower back, but the cool part about the Pivot is it allows you to spin, balance, and constantly move around. But it also gets uncomfortable after long periods during the day. A Kneeling Chair Until I discovered the SitTight I kept a kneeling chair by my side as a replacement for my desk chair. It’s super affordable, but more importantly it allows you to sit upright for longer periods of time because it’s so difficult to slouch while in a kneeling position. But the main drawback is the extra pressure it puts on your knees, hence why I don’t use it as often as I do my SitTight. Curious why I don’t list an exercise ball as an option? Because sitting on an exercise ball as a desk chair is actually worse for you than a regular desk chair15. Sure, it’s “supposed to” help you engage your core muscles more, but let’s get real. After 10 minutes we just end up slouching over 5 times more than we would with a regular desk chair. Expectation vs. Reality. You know you’re guilty of this too. My recommendation is NOT to introduce an exercise ball as your primary desk chair...but it doesn’t hurt to have one in your office to bounce or stretch on throughout the day. 3. A Topo Mat Hands down, the Topo Mat is the #1 product I recommend to every single person who asks me, “If you could only buy one thing for your office, what would it be?” There’s a reason the Topo Mat is listed as #2 on my list of top ten tools. The Topo Mat is not your boring, flat “antifatigue mat.” Those mats might make you marginally more comfortable by giving you a softer surface to stand on, but anyone who uses one regularly knows you often find yourself stuck in one position not moving...which means you’re still sedentary. In addition to being super cushy and comfortable like most other mats, The Topo Mat is specifically designed to not be flat which encourages more movement throughout the day at your standing workstation...and the best part is you move a lot more without ever having to consciously think about it (or set reminders that you’ll eventually ignore anyway). This increased movement promotes more blood circulation, less pain in the lower body, and ultimately more focus and creativity. If you’re standing at your desk, don’t do it without a Topo Mat. End of story. Learn more about how the Topo encourages movement throughout the day in my podcast interview with the Topo Mat creators. 4. An Apple Box As the companion to my Topo Mat, I never move into a new office without an apple box. If you spend the majority of your day standing instead of sitting, even with a Topo Mat encouraging more movement, you’ll still find that your lower back gets stiff, your calves get tight, and your feet get sore. Rather than spending tons of time & money chasing these symptoms with expensive massages, orthotics, or even making Advil a staple of your diet (all of which I’ve done in the past), the simplest solution is to put an apple box in front of your Topo Mat. Doing so allows you to relieve the pressure on your lower back and one leg at a time by simply shifting your weight and standing in what’s often known as “The Hero Pose.” The apple box can also be a great exercise tool for simple stair-steppers while reviewing material or reading, and it can even serve as a makeshift backless desk chair if you’re in a pinch. BUDGET UPDATE: Assuming you chose the most expensive options available above for both standing and sitting (i.e. the Autonomous height-adjustable workstation + the SitTight), and your original all-in chair budget was $1500, you’d still have roughly $400 available to surround yourself with a multitude of tools to keep your more active after also buying a Topo Mat and an apple box. So far we’ve barely scratched the surface. Let’s see how deep the rabbit hole really goes... V. Tools to Reduce Chronic Discomfort & Pain Now that I’ve covered my essential ‘Must-Haves’ for both standing and sitting throughout the day, I want to share the many tools I’ve discovered throughout the years to help me reduce (or outright eliminate) the many forms of discomfort and pain we all experience when working in front of computers for long hours. 1. The TheraGun Without question, the most powerful tool I’ve ever discovered to eliminate pain in my neck, shoulders, and lower back is the TheraGun. I cannot emphasize enough that this product is simply a GAME. CHANGER. If you’re balking at the price, take a minute to add up the chiropractor, physical therapy, and massage appointments you’ve scheduled throughout the years...then add up the additional cost to your health from living off Ibuprofen or pain killers. The investment in this product is worth it because there’s quite possibly nothing more detrimental to your focus and creativity than chronic pain. I originally discovered this product because I was searching for a way to reduce the pain I was experiencing from a heavy load of American Ninja Warrior training. But trust me when I say the TheraGun is not just for athletes. This is an incredibly simple-to-use tool that can sit right on desk next to your keyboard that virtually eliminates muscle knots in minutes. Foam rollers and la crosse balls (see below) are tools I’ve recommended and used for years to reduce knots and tightness in my neck, shoulders, and lower back throughout the day. But the Theragun eliminates the knots completely. In like 60 seconds. Seriously...I say this with zero hyperbole….the TheraGun is a miracle. Learn more about the TheraGun in my podcast interview with TheraGun inventor Dr. Jason Wersland. 2. A TriggerPoint Foam Roller An additional essential item I can’t live without in my office when it comes to mobility and pain relief is a TriggerPoint foam roller. Even if you invest in a TheraGun, a foam roller is a fantastic tool. But if you choose not to invest in a TheraGun, a foam roller is a must-have. Having a foam roller by my side (it can also easily be stored under a desk or table out of sight) allows me to roll out any area of my body from head-to-toe that might be chronically tight or sore from being sedentary (or if I’m sore from athletic training). A foam roller is great for taking quick stretch breaks, and if I’m spending long periods of time reviewing footage or watching cuts, I’ll spend upwards of an hour on my roller (I do the same watching TV at night to literally “unwind” before bed). Here’s an example from my Move Yourself Activity Video Vault of how to use a foam roller to loosen your “Glute Medius” (the outside of your hip/butt), a common area that gets tight when you sit all day long. Here’s a bonus example for using a foam roller to loosen your shoulders, specifically the area right behind your armpit called the ‘Teres’ muscle. Looking for a more advanced version of a foam roller? For true masochists like me, give the Rumble Roller a try. 3. Lacrosse Balls Once you’ve hit every spot you can with a foam roller, if you’re interested in getting into smaller, harder to reach areas that a blunt object like a foam roller can’t reach, you’ll then need at least one lacrosse ball. Think of a lacrosse ball like a masseuse's elbow. It’s not a terribly pleasant experience, but the relief you get is absolutely astounding (if you know the right places to put the ball). Here’s an example from my Move Yourself Activity Video Vault of how I use a lacrosse ball to the teres muscle to further reduce the discomfort in my lower back.Here’s an example from my Move Yourself Activity Video Vault of how I use a lacrosse ball to further reduce the discomfort in my lower back. And here’s another video for those of you who experience constant discomfort and pain in the forearms (e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome). 4. Tools Specifically For Wrist & Forearm Pain Repetitive stress injuries (RSI) and carpal tunnel are two of the most common types of pain people ask me about. When you spend all day long typing away at a keyboard, holding a pen, and/or clicking a mouse, you are putting a tremendous amount of strain on very specific muscles in your fingers, hands, wrists, and forearms. Think of it this way: Just imagine bending a clothes hanger back and forth over and over and over until it finally breaks....that’s repetitive stress. At one point in my career I had wrist pain so bad in my right hand (my mouse hand) that I couldn’t do a single push-up from the pain, and I was told my only option was surgery. I instead chose to do a little research and discovered a grip strength regimen had an equally high likelihood of long term success...but without surgery. While you are drastically overusing certain muscles and tendons day after day, you are also allowing equally important muscles to atrophy because you never use them at all. Often times the solution to eliminating pain the wrists and forearms is simply strengthening all of the muscles you are underusing. Here are the tools I keep right next to my keyboard and use every day to improve grip strength and lessen wrist & forearm pain: Captains of Crush Grip Strengtheners Captains of Crush Extensor Bands Finger extensor bands Gripmaster (for individual fingers) Variable Resistance Grip Strengthener Wrist & Forearm Blaster Needless to say at this point I’ve developed ninja-warrior-level grip strength, largely because I make it a habit to use these tools throughout my workday. Another item I travel with to every job that I can’t go a single day without is my Anker vertical mouse. Yes there are tons of different mouse options, Wacom and graphic tablets, trackballs, and entire gaming consoles that replace a mouse...but I’m a simpleton. I just want a device I can effortlessly hold in my hands so I can move my cursor around the screen...without causing shooting pain or numbness in my wrists and forearms. Once I made the simple transition from a regular mouse to a vertical mouse, virtually all of my discomfort and pain disappeared. To learn more about WHY working at a keyboard causes chronic pain and repetitive stress injuries, listen to my podcast interview with Dr. Sadie Sanders. 5. Tools For Lower Body, Leg, Ankle, & Foot Pain If you choose to stand for long periods throughout your workday (especially if you choose NOT to invest in a Topo Mat), you are going to experience lower body pain, specifically in your calves, shins, and feet. Here are a few of my favorite portable tools I keep handy for when I experience lower body & foot pain (especially plantar fasciitis which I battled for a couple years before discovering these options). Half foam roller Plantar Splints Frozen Foot Roller BUDGET UPDATE: With the exception of the TheraGun, every single tool I mention above costs $50 or less (most options are significantly less than $50 each). So if you spend $1100 on a height-adjustable workstation, a SitTight office chair, and a Topo Mat..then you choose 4 items from the list above...you’ll still have at least $200 remaining in your original $1500 “healthy chair budget.” Let’s see what other options there are to spend your remaining budget wisely. VI. Tools to Increase Strength (and Burn Calories!!!) Now that I’ve covered my essential ‘must-have’ tools for both sitting & standing as well as all the tools I use to eliminate chronic discomfort and pain, it’s time to start getting stronger right at your desk...and even start burning some calories! Yes...it’s possible to actually get stronger every single day and get in better shape, even if you spend your entire day stuck in front of a computer. Here’s how. 1. Doorway Pull-Up Bar A staple of my home office is a doorway pull-up bar with several variations of “Ninja holds” so I can continue to strengthen my grip (which as you read above helps reduce and eliminate RSI injuries and carpal tunnel). And if I’m lucky enough to work in an office space with normal doorway arches, I bring my pull-up bar to work as well. Even if you have no interest in hanging from ridiculous obstacles, a doorway pull-up bar is an inexpensive and easy-to-install piece of equipment that anyone can use throughout the day. Don’t get overwhelmed thinking you have to do maximum reps every single day, and don’t freak out if you can’t even do a single bodyweight pull-up. Simply put a chair under the bar and make it a rule that in order to walk through your office door you have to do one pull-up (with or without the chair). That’s it: One pull-up. Those tiny actions add up throughout the day. And I guarantee you’ll experience a lot less brain fog in the afternoons if you’re periodically doing bodyweight pull-ups. 2. Kettlebells Kettlebells are an absolutely staple in my office (I prefer the Onnit brand but you can get them at pretty much any store that carries exercise equipment). Occasionally lifting heavy things helps build strength, increase circulation, and most importantly keep away the dreaded afternoon brain fog. My go-to moves are kettlebell swings, goblet squats, deadlifts, shoulder presses, and I’m working right now on perfecting my Turkish getup. The best thing about kettlebells is they are easy to move from office to office (if you have light ones), and they’re super small so you can hide them under tables or under your desk. 3. Jump Rope A jump rope is a fantastic tool to keep at work in a drawer or under your desk to very quickly elevate your heart rate and respiration. That quick jolt of oxygen to the brain can quickly get the creative juices flowing again, and according to multiple experts can help reduce anxiety, depression, brain fog, and over time even make you smarter. And if you don’t have enough space for jumping with a real jump rope (or you don’t want the noise to disturb others), try a cordless jump rope instead. 4. Resistance Bands If giant heavy chunks of iron (i.e. kettlebells) aren’t your thing, there are several different varieties of resistance bands you can roll up in a desk drawer that can still give you a very efficient workout. This resistance band kit is one I’ve travelled with for years that allows me to do many types of exercises that I could do with a full set of dumbbells but without all the extra equipment. And the variety of colors give you a wide spectrum of resistance levels. If you’d prefer a smaller option for more therapeutic purposes instead of simulating dumbells, I also have a set of Therabands within arm’s reach. 5. Push-Up Stands If you’d like the option to practice handstands against the wall or take your push-up game to another level (or if regular push-ups are hard on your wrists), these Power Stands are the perfect piece of office equipment to stash under your desk. 6. Trampoline If you’re looking for a super quick way to elevate your heart rate, quickly shake up and clean out your lymphatic system, and give your creativity a boost, I highly recommend putting a trampoline somewhere in your workspace. Perhaps the best side effect of having a trampoline in your office is all the conversations it starts! Just beware of finding random people coming into your office and using it as soon as you step out (trust me...this happens to me all the time). BUDGET UPDATE: At this point if you’ve invested in a motorized desk from Autonomous, a SitTight, a Topo Mat/apple box combo, 4 items from section 2 (averaging at around $50 each), and then invested in another few items from section 3 at an additional $200 total, you’ve most likely hit your original “healthy chair” budget of $1500. But now you have at least ten different items for the price of one that promote more movement throughout your workday. Below I have provided bonus options for taking daily activity to the next level, but with the caveat these are an additional investment that exceeds your original $1500 budget of buying “the perfect chair.” 7. Under Desk Treadmill For several years while working on the shows Black Box and Empire I worked with a treadmill desk all day long, my favorite brand being the Lifespan Under Desk Treadmill. While it seems difficult to type and walk at the same time, I got the hang of it in mere minutes, and everyone that gave it a try was able to pick it up in less than five minutes as well. Having an under desk treadmill is a great way to burn calories continuously throughout the day and keep your metabolism elevated, as well as your heart rate. If you have trouble “getting in your steps” every day but really want to earn that 10k badge in the Fitbit app, a treadmill desk is your next best option. Note: The reason I no longer have a treadmill desk is not because they don’t work, it’s because I wanted to continue experimenting with multiple pieces of sitting & standing equipment...and it’s simply too difficult to move a treadmill back and forth all day long when you have five other pieces of equipment around you. 8. Under Desk Bicycle If you’re not a treadmill person, there is also the Lifespan Under Desk Bicycle which like the treadmill offers the option to move continuously throughout the day and burn far more calories than you would if sedentary. I’m not a big bicycle person so I haven’t tried one of these myself, but for those who enjoy bicycles I know this is a great option. 9. Under Desk Elliptical Trainer A third and equally good option for burning calories consistently at your desk is the In-Motion Elliptical Trainer. What I love about this option (besides the insanely reasonable price) is that it’s super small but packs a big punch. You can literally hide this right under your desk and nobody would ever notice. I often use the elliptical while either reading scripts, watching raw footage, or while writing. PART 3: It’s Not Just About the Tools...It’s About Using Them Consistently VII. How to Modify Your Daily Habits to Make Activity Effortless If you’ve stuck with me so far, you’ve exhausted (and perhaps even exceeded) your original “healthy chair” budget of $1500. But which would you rather have...ONE fancy office chair that reduces fatigue and discomfort...or TEN different pieces of equipment that keep you more active, make you stronger, more focused, creative, and all but eliminate your fatigue and discomfort? That’s what I thought. Now that you’ve surrounded yourself with the proper tools and educated yourself a bit about the benefits of moving more, it’s time to modify your behaviors throughout your workday to avoid being sedentary as much as possible...without requiring any additional time in your day. Here’s the great news about this section: Modifying your habits and behaviors is 100% FREE On a normal day I spend a minimum of 12 hours in front of a computer, on a busy day upwards of 16. Maybe it was 4 years of living & breathing Michael Westen while editing Burn Notice that inspired me to figure out a way to hack my surroundings and behaviors like a super spy, or perhaps it’s just sheer survival instincts given that I’m raising two small kids and trying to make a living in Los Angeles in one of the most competitive industries on the planet. No matter the initial inspiration, without much effort I’m now able to get between 10,000 and 15,000 steps on a normal workday. This is an example of a fairly normal day of activity for me while working (I generally average about 10k steps...so this was a good day). If you’re interested in building healthy habits to pair with all the new office equipment you’ve invested in to be more active, here are seven different options for modifying habits you’re already doing every day so you can be more active (without even thinking about it). 1. Introduce NEAT Movement Into Your Day NEAT is a term coined by James Levine, an exercise physiologist at the Mayo Clinic, and it stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. Defined in the simplest terms, NEAT movements are the small, brief, and frequent muscle movements one makes throughout the day. These frequent movements to incorporate into your daily routine can be as simple as: Standing up Sitting back down Bending over to pick something up Crossing your legs Shifting positions often Stretching periodically Think of yourself as the tortoise, not the hare. Sprinting quickly (i.e. exercising vigorously) and then sitting all day long isn’t as beneficial for you as slowly moving constantly throughout the day. In my podcast interview with Ergonomist Josh Kerst, he mentions the “10 and 2” rule, meaning every 10 minutes or so initiate a change in posture for 2 minutes, ideally standing as well (if you’re not already). In addition to having physical benefits, integrating more NEAT activity into your day will have a positive effect on your attention, focus, cognitive function, and creativity as well. Added time to your day: Approximately 0 minutes. 2. Organize Your Work Environment to Be LESS Efficient Given that I live and breath productivity, it may seem counterintuitive that I’m recommending you rearrange your office environment so it becomes less efficient, but there is nothing less efficient than being sedentary all day long. Movement is the secret to consistent levels of focus and productivity throughout the day. Forget feng shui…while you may be thinking you are saving time by having all of your essential tools within arm’s reach (e.g. your printer, stapler, file folders, trash can, etc), the lack of activity you get throughout the day by never moving actually makes you infinitely less productive. Simply assess your office layout and start rearranging frequently used items so they are out of reach. For example, my trash can is never under my desk within arm’s reach, it’s always in the exact opposite corner of the room. That way I’m forced to take 15-20 steps to throw something away (unless I want to shoot some “office hoops”). Now apply the same principle to frequently used items such as printers, pens, pencils, staplers, or bookshelves with binders. Make everything as inefficient as possible so you are forced to change positions to grab items throughout your day. This will introduce a significant amount of NEAT movement into your routine (for more on NEAT movement, scroll above to option #1). This one step alone could yield standing up 30-40 more times per day without you ever having to think about it. Added time to your day: Approximately 1-5 minutes. 3. Make Water Your Secret Weapon (And Turn Bathroom Breaks Into “Smoke Breaks”) The idea here is to use water as your ultimate weapon against being sedentary. There are two components to this strategy: Drink water like it’s going out of style Place your water just out of arm’s reach so you are forced to stand when you drink (an additional form of NEAT movement) By placing your water out of arm’s reach you are forced to stand every time you take a drink, and secondly if you drink like a fish you’ll have to pee like a racehorse. On that note...it’s been acceptable for decades to step outside several times a day and voluntarily commit suicide in the company’s back alley, now it’s time to take the same liberty with your bathroom breaks. But now instead of shortening your lifespan, you’ll be extending it! Since you’re now drinking copious amounts of water you’ll be taking bathroom breaks every couple of hours (probably more). Instead of running to the bathroom and returning as quickly as possible, use this time to focus on activity. Take the furthest path possible to reach the bathroom Find your secret place to do quick activity breaks When I was editing Empire I worked on the 4rd floor, but I would often walk down the steps to the main lobby to use the bathroom. I would then walk back up the steps, but before returning to work I would do 2-5 minutes of high intensity exercises in the stairwell. Those 2-5 minutes often bought me an additional 2-3 hours of high energy, focused creative work. Added time to your day: Approximately 1-5 minutes. 4. Park As Far Away As Possible (And then Ditch the Elevator and Take the Stairs Instead) Here is a parking lot outside one of the studios I’ve worked at in the past. Here’s where I could have parked: Here’s where I chose to park instead: Depending on how far away your parking space is from the office, you can add upwards of 1000+ steps just by making the conscious choice to park further away. And as an added bonus, your mornings will be LESS stressful because you no longer have to fight for the best space. The ‘best space’ for you will now be in the back corner on the roof of the parking structure...and there’s no need to fight for that one! Once you’ve chosen your optimal stop as far away as possible, choose to take the stairs to your office instead of the elevator. (If) Your legs work...Use them. Added time to your day: Approximately 5-10 minutes. 5. Make It a Rule to Walk If You’re On the Phone If I could choose only one strategy from this section that yields the most bang for your buck it would be this one. By simply making the conscious choice to take walks whenever you are on the phone, you could add upwards of 5-10k steps per day! For example, if I’m on a notes call or a conference call, I will choose a safe walking path where I don’t have to focus on traffic or my safety...all I have to do is walk around the block over and over and over. This helps me stay focused on the call, it gives me more energy which translates as being more passionate and attentive on the phone, and without thinking about it, at the end a 60 minute call I’ll be 7500 steps richer. If you get an impromptu phone call you weren’t expecting that will only last a few minutes, walk in circles in your office. Added time to your day: Approximately 0 minutes. (you’d be on the phone anyway) 6. Talk to Colleagues In Person (Ditch IM, Texts, and Office Phones) I have simply made it a rule that I don’t use the phone for communicating at the office. If I can walk to someone’s office, I don’t use the phone. Ever. I set the tone on my first day of a new job and let my colleagues know if they want to communicate with me they can send an e-mail, an instant message, or knock on my door. To be clear, I don’t tell everyone I’m working with they MUST communicate with me in person, but my general rule is that if I want to communicate with someone else, I make the effort to seek them out in person. When it comes to super simple requests that can be answered in a single sentence, I’m not going to interrupt my colleague’s or assistant’s creative flow by knocking on their door, I will just send a quick Slack message. But in general if the answer I’m requesting requires more than a simple answer, and moreover if communicating for 3 minutes in person avoids an email or IM chain with 20 different responses, I always make it a point to reach out in person. Trust me. If you want to build deeper meaningful relationships with your colleagues, try connecting like a real human being. The side effect is getting more steps into your day! Added time to your day: Approximately 1-5 minutes. 7. Take A Minimum of One Walking Break Per Day I have made it a regular habit to take a 15-30 minute walk shortly after I wake up in the morning to get some sun and wake myself up. This helps reset your circadian rhythm (which pays off by helping you wind down at the end of the day and sleep better). Then in the afternoons when I feel my energy slumping and my creative juices hitting a wall, I’ll also habitually take a walk around 4pm every afternoon (when I’m not in the room with a client). As mentioned in Section 1, movement activates the thinking brain, and there’s no better way to clear your head and solve creative problems than taking a walk. In fact according to research done at Stanford, simply walking versus sitting can boost creativity by upwards of 60%16. The next time you feel guilty (or downright afraid) of taking a walking break, keep in mind that you’re still working. Which do you think is more efficient, trying to solve a problem by endlessly staring at a screen while sitting on your ass, or forcing yourself into a different environment and moving around so your brain can breath? Think of it this way...where have you had more brilliant epiphanies in your life...in front of a computer, or in the shower? Yup. That’s what I thought. Added time to your day: Approximately 15-30 minutes. To Sit Or Not To Sit...That Is the Question Phew! That’s A LOT of information. Bet you didn’t know you had so many options available to you for being more active in an otherwise sedentary work environment, did you? That’s okay, I had no idea any of this stuff existed until I started obsessively researching and experimenting with everything I could get my hands on. Today, without even thinking about it, I average 10k+ steps per day (not including exercise or ninja training), I’m constantly taking breaks but still meeting my deadlines, I’m able to maintain my focus for longer periods (which gets me home to my kids sooner), and I just feel better. If you’re interested in taking “the red pill” and seeing just how deep this rabbit hole really goes, I invite you to join my ‘Move Yourself’ program to bring together all of the knowledge and expertise I’ve shared with you in this ultimate guide (plus a ton more) into a simple and repeatable daily system that will lead to: More consistent energy throughout your (long) day A heightened ability to enter a state of “creative flow” Increasing your metabolism Burning more calories Having less brain fog More bursts of creativity Arriving home at night to your family with energy to spare I look forward to seeing you inside! Appendix: Expert Interviews & Additional Articles Note that much of what you’ve read above is already contained in many of my past articles and podcasts, but if you’d like to go deeper on any specific topic, below is an appendix of every resource available on this site to get you moving. Podcast Interviews: Ep52: Taking Recovery to a Whole New Level with the TheraGun | with Dr. Jason Wersland Ep51: Don’t Just Sit…SitTight | with Scott Bahneman Ep30: How Regular Movement Makes You Smarter | with Dr. John Ratey Ep23: How Being Sedentary Is Damaging You (According to NASA) | with Dr. Joan Vernikos Ep02: Deskbound – Standing Up To a Sitting World | with Dr. Kelly Starrett BONUS: Take Your Standing Workstation to the Next Level with the ‘Topo Mat’ [Podcast] Ep109: The Magic of Postural Modification (And How It Can Cure Your Back Pain Better Than a Doctor) (Fitness In Post Archives): [Podcast] Ep106: The Cure For Lower Back Pain, Tension Headaches, and So Much More [Podcast] Ep96: How Sitting Almost Defeated This 4th Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Master [Podcast] Ep70: Ergonomics 2.0, The ‘Dynamic’ Workstation Revolution [Podcast] Ep64: How to Diagnose, Reduce, and Eliminate Chronic Pains [Podcast] Ep63: The Solution to Your Sedentary Lifestyle [Podcast] Ep27: The Sitting Solution Articles: The Beginner’s Guide to Alleviating Chronic Pain In 5 Min a Day…Right at Your Desk [VIDEOS] The Magic of Postural Modification (And How It Can Cure Your Back Pain Better Than a Doctor) The Freelancer’s Guide to Building a “Dynamic Workstation On the Go” Tired of Sitting and Want to Ignite Your Energy & Creativity? Start Moving More. Ready to Blow Your Paycheck On ‘The Perfect Chair?’ Read This First. Sitting Is Killing You, But Standing Isn’t the Answer (And Neither is Exercise) Transform Your Edit Suite Into a Gym SOURCES: 1 New Survey: To Sit or Stand? Almost 70% of Full Time American Workers Hate Sitting, but They do it all Day Every Day 2 Our Modern Sedentary Lifestyle - JustStand.Org 3, 4 Sitting Too Much May Lead to Diabetes, Heart Disease - WebMD 5 Sitting Too Much Increases Cancer Risk in Women - Cancer.org 6,7 Prolonged Sitting Linked to Kidney Disease - WebMD 8 New study finds that sitting for protracted periods increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and death - University of Leicester 9 Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World - Amazon.com 10 The Magic of 10,000 Steps - Fitbit.com 11 Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain - Amazon.com 12 Everything Science Knows Right Now About Standing Desks - FastCompany.com 13 Even for the active, a long sit shortens life and erodes health - LATimes.com 14 Does Sitting Really "Cancel" the Benefits of Exercise? - RunnersWorld.com 15 Is Sitting On An Exercise Ball At Work A Bad Idea? - BuiltLean.com 16 Stanford study finds walking improves creativity - Standford.edu

Author’s Note: In the wake of the possible IATSE strike I wanted to share my two cents specifically regarding turnaround times and overall hours. I know the pension plan is the headline of negotiations (as it should be), but I want to ensure we're not overlooking the health, safety, and sanity of everyone working behind-the-scenes. A pension plan is meaningless if you don't live long enough to use it. For those of us in Hollywood working behind computers in dark rooms for a living, will there ever come a time when we realize it’s counterproductive, unhealthy, and downright dangerous to work insane hours at the expense of our health and our creativity simply for the sake of our jobs? How much is our time (and our sanity) really worth? For years now I've stood on my soapbox proclaiming from the hills that sitting is killing us and that success happens BECAUSE you prioritize your health above your career, not DESPITE it. If you think living in a dark room for sixteen hours a day under constant stress is good for your creativity, think again. If you value your health, all you have to do is ask yourself this simple question honestly: Is the job you’re doing every single day worth dying for? If your answer to this question is ‘No,’ I suggest reading on. Because if we don’t begin collectively standing up for ourselves and do what's necessary, things will only get worse. C’mon...Is It Really That Bad? Wait a second...using words like “unhealthy” or “dangerous” is irresponsible. For those of us who are film editors, visual effects artists, composers, animators, and everyone in between, we just sit at desks all day long in air conditioned luxury suites and have our meals handed to us twice a day on a silver platter. We’ve got it easy! It’s not like we’re blue collar workers slaving away in steel factories or coal mines losing limbs or dying of black lung…..(Note: The typical seated office worker has more injuries than any other industry sector worker including construction, the metal industry, and transportation1). It’s not like we suffer through grueling days on movie sets working sixteen to twenty hours a day, often deep into the following morning….. And we certainly aren’t out on the front lines sacrificing our lives for the sake of a stunt or “getting the perfect shot”..... Here’s the difference: All of the dangerous professions listed above have rigorous safety regulations to protect the health and wellbeing of their workforce with extensive training to minimize accidents. Those of us in post-production are told in the same safety meetings to bring a cardigan because it can sometimes get “chilly in the edit suite.” Tee-hee. If someone dies after falling off scaffolding while doing a stunt or is (God-forbid) hit by a train while setting up a shot, the entire community rallies around this negligence. There’s no choice but to address the problem and ensure the same mistakes aren’t made in the future. When someone is recklessly injured or killed while on the job in a public setting, people pay attention. Sedentary “creative workers” are unfortunately not afforded the same protections. If we’re asked to work through lunch (for free), we don’t have a crew of 150 people to demand we all get meal penalties. If we’re expected to work 16 (or more) hours every day sitting in a small dark room without breaks or weekends off, we feel like we're all alone if we’re being treated unjustly and have no choice but to submit. If someone working in any sector of the post-production industry dies as a direct result of the long hours, the chronic stress, the poor working conditions, or gets into a car accident as a result of sleep-deprivation, it’s no different than a tree falling in the woods when no one else is around. If an editor dies in the edit bay, does it make a sound? The sad fact is there are countless stories of people dying (or barely surviving 3 heart attacks in 24 hours)  as a direct result of their jobs working in post-production (Unfortunately nobody is willing to share the details of those stories publicly). We may mourn those who pass from cancer, but because stress is a slow burn, despite it being the number one cause of death in first world societies, nobody notices or creates a direct connection between the diseases and the lifestyle. (Note: The World Health Organization ranks sitting too much as the fourth biggest preventable killer globally, killing over 3.2 million people per year1.) Even worse, there are plenty of stories of editors dying suddenly at their desks or assistants dying on the road in car crashes after falling asleep due to numerous stretches of long days and long hours. But nobody talks about these. Because if you do, you get blacklisted. Yes we have a supportive union ready to stand up for every single one of us, but how can they do so when nobody is willing to speak up about what’s really happening on the front lines every single day? We don’t have a Sarah Jones to rally around and affect real change. But it’s time for us to start behaving like we do. “Then Get More Flies…” There is nobody in Hollywood the business loves to exploit more than socially introverted “creatives” who will do whatever it takes to deliver top quality work and meet a deadline, no matter how unreasonable. Furthermore, those making said requests know on some level that creatives consider their work part of their identity and are almost always willing to go the extra mile because they love their jobs. Artists are willing to give their knowledge and expertise away in service of “the greater good” of their art. But what happens if you say no? You’re told to just shut up and do your job because there are hundreds of people lined up ready to do it for you. As Walter Murch explained on our podcast together, several decades ago when approaching a studio executive to address the extreme working conditions, stress, and deadlines on a feature film he was editing, he described the situation as: “People are dropping like flies.” The studio executive simply replied with: “Then get more flies.” Sadly not much has changed in the last several decades. Back in the “film days,” it took an afternoon (or even overnight) to process a single dissolve. Now that we can create a dissolve with a single keystroke, it’s not like we have our afternoons to ourselves. We just fill the time with more work. And the studios continually make increasingly unrealistic calendars and delivery schedules because we continue to meet them. It’s so tempting to blame the studio executives and producers for the poor working conditions and the unhealthy lifestyles in post-production, but it’s not their fault. We cannot sit back and expect the next new contract negotiation to magically change the demands placed upon us. This is our fault. We have enabled a work culture where it’s okay to eat lunch (and dinner) at our desks because the schedule doesn’t allow enough time to get five minutes of fresh air and sit outside in the sun. Our meals might be handed to us, but if it were possible they’d probably just slide our meals under our doors twice a day. We have enabled a work culture where it’s okay to chronically stay late and put our kids to bed via Facetime rather than tucking them in and kissing them on the forehead because some producer has a few more notes and “just wants to get it right.” https://youtu.be/CHZN2y3XsTk “Whoosh” is unfortunately neither a parody nor a stereotype We have enabled a work culture where working 60 hours per week is now considered a “standard” contract (Standard!!!!!!), and we’ll even work additional hours late at night or on the weekends - UNPAID - because we fear asking for overtime will label us as “the difficult one” because we don’t have a crew of 150 other people to demand the overtime alongside us. Don’t think things are that bad? Consider this for a second… We have enabled a work culture where we are literally embarrassed to take breaks. Walking breaks. Water breaks. Even bathroom breaks. God forbid somebody sees us away from our workstations and thinks we’re “lazy.” But it’s still 100% acceptable to step out for multiple smoke breaks all day long. We have accepted and perpetuated this reality, yet we constantly complain that “Nobody respects us!” REALITY CHECK: Nobody is going to respect us until we collectively start respecting ourselves. The reason we put up with and accept a work culture that perpetuates and celebrates horrible lifestyle choices every single day is fear. We are afraid that if we fight back or say no, we will simply be replaced. And we will. Because there are always going to be more flies. There will always be people willing to put themselves through hell for the sake of a paycheck, another credit on the résumé, another rung on the ladder. The only way this vicious cycle stops is if we change the culture until we reach the point where there simply are no more flies. “IT WAS JUST ONE ANT” Our time is our most valuable asset in life, but unfortunately it’s not like a 401k. We don’t get to set it aside but then have it returned to us tax-free plus interest 30 years later. Once we spend it, it’s gone. Start prioritizing your time as if you don’t have any left. If you’re hoping someone is going to step in on your behalf and make sure you stay active throughout your day and take breaks...keep hoping. If you’re wishing for your "crazy" schedule to get pushed just a day or two so you can catch up on sleep...keep wishing. If you’re dreaming of the day when studios and corporations come to their senses and realize less working hours actually leads to increased productivity and higher quality work...KEEP. DREAMING. Yes we should all band together and collectively fight for better contracts with longer turnarounds and less hours overall, but even new contracts can’t affect real change. There is only one person that can affect change: You. Change is going to happen in the trenches one soldier at a time. It’s time to stop thinking of ourselves as flies and start thinking of ourselves as soldier ants. As a father of two young kids, I spend A LOT of time watching Pixar movies, and one of my favorites is A Bug’s Life. While my kids may overlook the following scene, there is a tremendously profound moment when the grasshoppers realize their power is nothing compared to the ants if they were to stand together. https://youtu.be/VLbWnJGlyMU “You let one ant stand up to us, then they ALL might stand up! Those puny little ants outnumber us 100 to 1. And if they ever figure that out, there goes our way of life.” Only banded together can we demand the respect we deserve and affect real change for ourselves and future generations of “creatives” just entering this industry with stars in their eyes and love for their craft in their hearts. Only collectively can we do what is necessary to fight back against the impossible deadlines, the long hours, and the poor working conditions. One ant at a time. It Starts With You The next time you’re sitting alone in a dark room feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and yours alone, remember there is a worldwide community of creative people like yourself fighting the same battle in dark rooms everywhere. If you’re too afraid to stand up for yourself and you’re looking for a reason to muster up the courage to fight back, just remember this: Your time is your most valuable asset, and no amount of overtime is worth sacrificing your health, time with your family, or your sanity. Let’s get real Hollywood: We create entertainment for a living. We’re not curing cancer.   Additional Reading & Listening: Sitting Is Killing You, But Standing Isn’t the Answer (Neither Is Exercise) Are Creative and Tech Workers the New ‘Blue Collar?’ | with Maxim Jago Life After 3 Heart Attacks In 24 Hours | with Marc Wielage It Is Possible to Be Both Successful and Kind at the Same Time Surviving 50+ Years In Post | with Walter Murch, ACE I Was Tired of Putting My Kids to Bed via Facetime Every Night. Here’s What I Did About It. --- 1 Starrett, Kelly (2016-04-26). Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World (p. 8). Victory Belt Publishing. Featured image courtesy of Jeremy Bishop via Unsplash.com

It's no secret: Sitting all day just plain sucks. But when working an intensely creative job for long hours, what other options do you have? The good news is there are now TONS of options, and if you're not sure where to start, this episode is your first step. If you have any interest in leveling up your energy, your focus, your mental stamina (and possibly even saving your life), you'll want to listen to this conversation with my guest Dr. Kelly Starrett, author of the New York Times bestseller ‘Becoming a Supple Leopard,' which has revolutionized how coaches, athletes, and everyday humans approach movement and athletic performance. He is also author of the book 'Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World,' as well as the co-founder of San Francisco Crossfit and MobilityWOD.com where he shares his innovative approach to movement, mechanics, and mobility. He works with elite Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, as well as players from the NFL, NHL, NBA, and Major League Baseball. To put it simply, Kelly is as badass as it gets, and I consider one of my greater accomplishments in life getting this guy in front of a mic to chat with me for an hour (even if his wife did choose to do the dishes in the background for a few minutes). In this episode we talk about Kelly’s book Deskbound and really dig deep into the science behind what’s happening to our bodies when we sit for too long, but more importantly we talk about ways you can change your environment to become more active and create what he calls a ‘movement rich space.’ If you have any interest in escaping your desk chair, this episode is the place to start. Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One? » Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode Here's What You'll Learn: Why even professional athletes need lifestyle coaching Prioritizing your health by shaping your environment The adverse effects of living a sedentary lifestyle Prioritizing movement above just sitting or standing How sitting affects your physiology Focusing on problems in function rather than responding to pain Kelly's guidelines for mobility and designing your environment to facilitate your health Leaning to perform basic physical maintenance on yourself Avoiding pointless trips to the chiropractor Contract/Relax exercise cycles The importance of consistent exercise over extreme workouts Enhancing your soft tissues with ten minutes of exercise a day Easy ways to stay metabolically active at your desk job Useful Resources Mentioned: Athletic Greens 'Move Yourself' Program MobilityWOD.com Our Generous Sponsors: This episode is made possible by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone interested in moving more at their height-adjustable workstation. Listen, standing desks are only great if you’re standing well, otherwise you’re constantly fighting fatigue and chronic pain. Not like any other anti-fatigue mat, the Topo is scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase your focus and productivity. And they’re really fun and a great conversation starter. This episode is made possible by the HumanCharger,  a revolutionary new light therapy device made specifically for people who spend long days in the dark and don’t get enough sunlight...i.e. You and me. Simply put in the earbuds for 12 minutes a day to receive your daily recommended dosage of UV-free white light. Doing so can drastically increase your energy, improve your mood, and increase mental alertness and focus.This device has literally changed my life and I use it every morning without fail. Use the code ‘OPTIMIZE’ to get 20% off your order. Guest Bio:       Dr. Kelly Starrett, DPT, is the author of the New York Times bestseller Becoming a Supple Leopard, which has revolutionized how coaches, athletes, and everyday humans approach movement and athletic performance. Dr. Starrett is a co-founder of San Francisco CrossFit and MobilityWOD.com, where he shares his innovative approach to movement, mechanics, and mobility with coaches and athletes. He travels around the world teaching his wildly popular Movement & Mobility Course and works with elite Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard forces; athletes from the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB; and national and world-ranked strength and power athletes. He consults with Olympic teams and universities and is a featured speaker at strength and conditioning conferences worldwide. Dr. Starrett’s work is not limited to coaches and athletes; his methods apply equally well to children, desk jockeys, and anyone dealing with injury and chronic pain. He believes that every human being should know how to move and be able to perform basic maintenance on themselves. Show Credits: This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Jakin Rintelman. Special thanks to Krystle Penhall and Sarah Furie for helping to spread the love! The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet). Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

In today's podcast we have the honor of sitting down with Dr. Kelly Starrett—waterman, coach, physiotherapist, and author of multiple New York Times bestsellers including Becoming a Supple Leopard and Ready to Run, as well as his most recent book Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World Kelly and his wife Juliet started one of the first ever Cross Fit Gyms (#30 to be exact) in San Francisco out of a couple of shipping containers sitting in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge.    Kelly Worked on site as a PT watching and studying closely the movement patterns of the athletes.   The observations and learning from this experience then led to the founding of MobilityWOD a website dedicated to becoming the ultimate guide for eliminating pain, preventing injury and maximizing athletic performance. The idea was to produce a video every day that explained proper movement mechanics as well as tips and tricks for achieving them. Through all the invaluable content Kelly has produced, he has quickly become recognized around the world as one of the foremost experts on human performance.   He now works with olympic athletes, professional sports teams in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, and Special Forces Units.    In his work, Kelly travels the globe sharing his wealth of knowledge I could go on for hours writing  about Kelly’s credentials and accolades, but suffice it to say, he is an absolute guru and millions of people around the world have taken note Lucky for us, Kelly also happens to be a super passionate waterman and even met his wife Juliet (who is also a world class whitewater  paddler)  at a paddling competition in Chile.   Safe to say, the entire family is obsessed with paddling.    Kelly started paddling whitewater at age 12 and was a captain of the US Canoe and Kayak white water slalom team where he won 2 national titles. Eventually he had to stop paddling due to overuse injuries that led to limited neck movement and numbness in his hands.   This led him down the classic rabbit hole of cortisone shots, prednisone, etc.   Ultimately Kelly took it upon himself to get to the root cause of his ailments and begin the process of healing himself through proper movement.     This became much of the inspiration for his life’s work Kelly competed in the 2015 Maui Jim Molokai in an OC1 and actively coaches OC1 paddlers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Today Kelly spends time paddling everything from whitewater, SUP, OC and his Epic V10 Sport surfski. This podcast is fast paced with a ton of information, you’ll probably want to listen to it a couple times and reference Kelly’s website and youtube videos to put it all together,  but there is no doubt in my mind that following Kelly’s guidance will be critical to ensuring a long, healthy and optimal paddling journey.   Below are just a few of the topics we get into: Putting in the work and having the awareness to achieve correct posture and form through the duration of your paddling sessionHow posture and movement impacts not only the power you can produce, but also your ability to breathe wellUsing the basic pushup to assess shoulder range of motionUnderstanding how critical shoulder range of motion is to the catch phase of the strokeWhy the simple deadlift, performed with correct form,  is so beneficial to paddlingUsing a Lacrosse Ball or even better the Super Nova to do soft tissue work that will ultimately benefit your paddlingA small preview of what will be included in Kelly's next book:  Waterman 2.0 to be released next springLots, lots more As a deskbound weekend warrior in my early forties who fully plans to paddle for at least another 40 years, I plan to take Kelly's guidance to heart and implement his suggestions into my daily routines.   There is no doubt he is one of the foremost gurus in the world in the movement and mobility space and we are so fortunate that he is also such a passionate paddler and has given considerable thought to how proper movement ...

Today's guest, Kelly Starrett, is a coach, physical therapist, speaker, co-creator of MobiltyWOD.com, and author of two NY Times Best Sellers: Becoming a Supple Leopard & Ready to Run. Kelly recently published his third book, Deskbound. Kelly started the 27th CrossFit gym in the country, with a private student loan from grad school. “It was a total calculated risk. No one knew this; they didn't know what this was.“ Kelly thought it would be a great place for his friends to train, and he hoped to pick up skills that would make him a better physiotherapist. The gym evolved into a lot more. “Then we started solving a problem. We started to see the way people moved … Don't set up a business, be useful.” Kelly didn't have one distinct mentor, but he did have many talented colleagues and inspirations around him. “There's this constant loop of creativity that doesn't turn off.” “Process begets process. For us, the mentorship is that we all feed each other and draft off each other and push each other and nudge each other, and that really is sustainable.” Kelly's third book, Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World, was released in April, and it is currently the #1 Best Seller in Exercise & Fitness Injury Prevention on Amazon. Deskbound is a blueprint for living pain free in a sedimentary society. It identifies the epigenetic implications of not moving (pelvic floor dysfunction, jaw clenching, shortened hips, insulin insensitivity) and seeks to structure a solution. “At some point, there's going to have to be an intervention that actually works, and we think that this is one of those interventions that's so simple – i.e. get human beings to be what human beings are, what they're supposed to do, which is move.” The book opens with, “The human body is incredibly robust. This is a good thing, if you have a plan for getting organized.” Immediately, you can divide your life into opportunities where you can sit, and opportunities where you don't have to sit. It becomes optional and non-optional sitting. The book is trying to encourage readers to adapt the environment around them to force more movement. For example, during this interview, Kelly and I are sitting on the floor. Because of this, we're already in better metabolic positions. We're not metabolically active, but we're taking our hips through the full range of motion and we're at least obeying the range of motion that the tissues are designed for. “What we've done is immediately program a whole bunch more movement in, and all we did was say, ‘Let's not sit in a chair.'” If you do find yourself having to sit a lot, you have to have a plan to address the tissue restrictions. The second half of the book provides simple tools to open up tissues that are stiff, restore normal sliding surfaces and regain function. Kids who stand in school will burn an additional 15-30% more calories daily than kids who don't, and they even focus better. Kelly's partner at Texas A&M, Mark Benden, has research showing that kids are gaining about 2 percentage points on their body index every year they sit at school, and what Kelly's seen is that in two years they've actually been able to reverse that trend. “We have to start playing the long game: just do the right thing, day after day, and pretty soon it really makes massive change.” Kelly is incredibly passionate about health and healing, and he's doing great work with his wife at MobilityWOD.com. I'm grateful to Kelly for sharing his passion with the Impact Entrepreneur Show.     SOME QUESTIONS I ASK: What is the premise of Kelly's new book, Deskbound? What are some consequences of not being organized? What are physical cues listeners can pay attention to as they're listening to analyze what they're doing right now to see if they're helping or hindering themselves? What can parents do to improve movement in their children's lives? IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: The danger in sedimentary living How we can

In the words of Kelly Starrett, “there was a time where we thought that being well-conditioned or being brutally strong solved all the problems. We realize now that it doesn’t.” – I couldn’t agree more. Kelly Starrett, @mobilitywod, is a man with many hats: Coach, Physical Therapist, Author, and Founder of Mobility WOD. He is a staple in the CrossFit community helping athletes improve human movement and optimizing athletic performance. He’s been producing instructional content for the CrossFit Community since 2008, and today he’s here to talk about his new book, mobility, injury prevention, and simple lifestyle changes you can do today that will improve your health.  Check the notes below for links to his books and more related content. Topics of discussion: [10:30] Dysfunction Incomplete mechanics & incident level problems The nuance of proper positioning The new revolution in Strength & Conditioning   [15:10] Corrective exercises Skill transfer exercise Position transfer exercise   [17:23] Working with Mike Burgener [22:04] Ego [25:13] Characteristics of a Master [28:20] New book: “Deskbound: Standing Up to a Siting World” – Kelly Starrett [34:39] Quick lifestyle changes that will have a huge impact on your well-being Optional sitting & Non-optional sitting   [44:00] Stretching advice/ technique Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)   [48:35] Becoming a Master Coach [1:00:18] What you need to know about ice baths & why you should be doing them Books: “Becoming a Supple Leopard” – Kelly Starrett “Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World” – Kelly Starrett “Extreme Ownership” – Jocko Willink Other links: MobilityWOD – Website @mobilitywod – Twitter Mobility & PNF Stretching - Article Skill-transfer exercises – 6 part video series w/ Kelly Starrett  Reviews: If you LOVE this podcast please click HERE to leave me a review. It energizes me to keep doing these as well as pushes us higher in the rankings. Thank you all for the support. Follow us on Instagram @brute.strength

01:59 - Dan Wahlin Introduction Twitter GitHub Blog 03:24 - Dan Wahlin: Typescript: Angular 2's Secret Weapon @ ng-conf 2016 04:44 - ng-conf Fair Day Workshops TypeScript 2 in 60ish Minutes Angular 2 in 60ish Minutes 05:45 - Pre-Conference Workshop 06:32 - AngularJS Fundamentals In 60-ish Minutes => Angular 2 13:49 - Responses to Angular 2 and TypeScript 18:22 - Learning TypeScript; ES5/ES6 25:25 - Interfaces 29:33 - Aha Moments Databinding Syntax The Module Concept 34:07 - Edgecases and Struggles Providers Grabbing Elements The Build Chain Pipes Observables Pluralsight: Modern, Modular JavaScript with SystemJS and jspm 51:41 - Flexibility of Providers   Picks John Papa: Angular 2 Workshop in Barcelona (John) Ghost (John) CloudFlare (John) Angular 2 Style Guide for TypeScript (Lukas) Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World by Kelly Starrett (Lukas) iPhone (Ward) ng-conf 2016 Starcraft Tournament (Joe) Duet (Dan)

01:59 - Dan Wahlin Introduction Twitter GitHub Blog 03:24 - Dan Wahlin: Typescript: Angular 2's Secret Weapon @ ng-conf 2016 04:44 - ng-conf Fair Day Workshops TypeScript 2 in 60ish Minutes Angular 2 in 60ish Minutes 05:45 - Pre-Conference Workshop 06:32 - AngularJS Fundamentals In 60-ish Minutes => Angular 2 13:49 - Responses to Angular 2 and TypeScript 18:22 - Learning TypeScript; ES5/ES6 25:25 - Interfaces 29:33 - Aha Moments Databinding Syntax The Module Concept 34:07 - Edgecases and Struggles Providers Grabbing Elements The Build Chain Pipes Observables Pluralsight: Modern, Modular JavaScript with SystemJS and jspm 51:41 - Flexibility of Providers   Picks John Papa: Angular 2 Workshop in Barcelona (John) Ghost (John) CloudFlare (John) Angular 2 Style Guide for TypeScript (Lukas) Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World by Kelly Starrett (Lukas) iPhone (Ward) ng-conf 2016 Starcraft Tournament (Joe) Duet (Dan)

01:59 - Dan Wahlin Introduction Twitter GitHub Blog 03:24 - Dan Wahlin: Typescript: Angular 2's Secret Weapon @ ng-conf 2016 04:44 - ng-conf Fair Day Workshops TypeScript 2 in 60ish Minutes Angular 2 in 60ish Minutes 05:45 - Pre-Conference Workshop 06:32 - AngularJS Fundamentals In 60-ish Minutes => Angular 2 13:49 - Responses to Angular 2 and TypeScript 18:22 - Learning TypeScript; ES5/ES6 25:25 - Interfaces 29:33 - Aha Moments Databinding Syntax The Module Concept 34:07 - Edgecases and Struggles Providers Grabbing Elements The Build Chain Pipes Observables Pluralsight: Modern, Modular JavaScript with SystemJS and jspm 51:41 - Flexibility of Providers   Picks John Papa: Angular 2 Workshop in Barcelona (John) Ghost (John) CloudFlare (John) Angular 2 Style Guide for TypeScript (Lukas) Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World by Kelly Starrett (Lukas) iPhone (Ward) ng-conf 2016 Starcraft Tournament (Joe) Duet (Dan)

On this week's show, we are speaking with New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Kelly Starrett. He's also a coach, physical therapist, and speaker. Kelly founded San Francisco CrossFit in 2005 with his wife and fellow athlete Juliet Starrett. This athletic training center was one of the first 50 CrossFit Affiliates. Today we are talking to Kelly about his new book, Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World. In this episode, we discuss: When you sit the muscles in your lower body shut off One hour at the gym doesn't make up for sitting all day at work We need to create a movement rich environment There are times we need to sit, so... how do we optimize this? Is there any legitimacy to the 10,000 steps a day trend? 1st graders running gait falls apart due to too much sitting Standing while you work increases your focus Static standing while working isn't the answer Turn your current desk into a stand-up desk with things you already have around your home You should be standing and walking with your feet straight The ultimate standing desk Making the environment fit your physiology Getting stand up desks into the classrooms Arch supports suck Have flip-flops turned your feet into island feet? A simple test to see how healthy your feet are It only takes 10 minutes a day to maintain the health of your tissues Normal tissues aren't painful to compression The best position to sleep in Smash your tissues to activate your parasympathetic nervous system before bed Smashing vs. stretching your tissues Kelly's morning routine Better absorb the water you drink by adding in a pinch of sea salt Related links: Dr. Kelly Starrett - Deskbound (book) Dr. Kelly Starrett's website (Mobility|WOD) Follow Mobility|WOD on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Dr. Kelly Starrett - Ready to Run (book) Standup Kids - Kelly's nonprofit Listen to Vani Hari (Food Babe) previously on TUHP ( episode #020) Jared Diamond - Guns, Germs, and Steel (book) Dr. Nicholas Romanov (books) Fully (formerly called Ergo Depot) Listen to Katy Bowman previously on TUHP (episode #064) Christopher McDougall - Born to Run (book) Sunwarrior