Jun 23, 2011 / Topic Ideas

Stand up now, or die!? (get out of your chair)

Topic #167:

One health story making the rounds is how sitting too much all day will kill you. Since you are likely seated as you read this, don’t panic. We want to help.

Since we here at WordPress.com want you around, and blogging, forever, we’d like you to get up, right now, and do some push-ups.  How many do you think you can do? Write it down. Then go do ’em. And write a blog post about the results. Did it feel good? Did you do more or less than you guessed?

According to fitness scientists, a 40 year old woman should be able to do 16. A man, 27.  And Jack LaLanne was doing push-ups into his 90s.

See The Simple Push-Up for more background on this curiously useful exercise.

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  1. Another muscle group that is hurt by sitting is the hamstring. I get out and run three times a week, but I found out the hard way the 8-10 hours of sitting I do a day shrinks the hamstring muscle group and makes it prone to injury. Walking/running alone won’t cut it. Strength training, stairs and squats are important to avoid injury.

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  4. Considering the out of shapeness of so many people, may be better to start with some walking followed by lifting 5 lb. weights a few days before hitting the push ups and having a myocardial infarction!
    Oh, and don’t forget to put down that bowl of chips and ice cream and pizza!

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  6. I do box every day, plus I always run the 10K’s here in my city, and I consider myself to be in shape 🙂

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  7. O-…… O-…… O-….. ….. Argh, I can’t do one push-up!!! Okay, I can do one but don’t ask me to do more. :p

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  8. Is this a “prod” or a “prompt”? 😉

    I did a few push-ups . . .
    Now my shoulder hurts.
    OUCH!!!!
    I may have to stop blogging.

    This is ALL your fault, Scott!!! 😀

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  9. Scott,
    No push ups allowed here per doctor’s orders and yes I am glad I have an excuse although I could do without the back pain. I have always hated pushups! lol

    I have a lumbar compression fracture from a fall. I am trying to use my walking poles three days a week though and I promise not to sit too long without getting up as it hurts to sit for too long right now anyway.

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  11. I have a sprained wrist, and I’m not good enough to do the one-armed push up thing :P. Can I take a break from exercise just for today? lol

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  13. Aw, I’m afraid I’m so guilty of this. Sitting all day long! But I don’t know what I need to do. I’m scared. I want to be more fit.

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    1. Hey Pink woods, It’s not so hard, really. Four years ago I started riding my bike. Just to the end of the driveway, then my road, then two roads…now I can go miles and miles and love every minute. Find the physical activity you think you can do–doesn’t really matter what, and do it. Work up a sweat every day doing something. Not out of fear of unfitness, but because you want to. Once you start, it gets kinda addictive. Plus, it gives you a challenge to blog about. I’ll be checking your blog, in a non-stalking way, to cheer you on.

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  15. Todos os dias eu procuro me levantar e viver bem. Trabalho o dia inteiro, confesso que as vezes queria estar já do outro lado. Os problemas são tantos, tudo sou eu que tenho que resolver me sinto cansada.
    A minha unica alegria, é escrever e estar aqui junto a vocês e o meu blog.
    Eu sei que a vida é difícil para todos, mas os meus não consigo resolve-los!!!!
    Abraços a todos!
    Mina!

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  16. Push up!?!?!?! I find ‘push back’ a more workable exercise for me; push back from the dinner table; the friend(?) who wants to buy you shakes and chocolates as you slim down; the boyfriend who wants to stay at home and ‘chill’ with a bowl of wings and chips (not my situation but…)

    I never could do push ups – even at my youthful mile-running, tennis-playing best so the scientists’ findings are unacceptable (for me).

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  18. I think the reasoning of equating arm strenght with fitness may be flawed. It does not take into account any conditions that might make pushups difficult – such as chronic rotator cuff tendinitis and old injuries that could be present in an athletic person.I am very fit, can bike 50 miles at one time, but can’t do more than one pushup. I may have to take you up on this challenge Scott, but I want to research it more first – sounds like too much work to do right now. BTW, can YOU do 27 pushups?

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  19. I’ve recently joined the local gym and my muscles are not happy with me at all! Despite the discomfort and walking like a monkey it’s quite therapeutic going for the burn 3 times a week!

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  20. Woohoo!!!
    Did twenty! (;
    When I was still doing gymnastics (few years ago) we had to do like a LOT of push-ups and sit-ups! 3 times a week made you very strong and supple.
    And here’s an idea why don’t you go swimming?

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  23. This was a fun challenge! I managed some push-ups (the children even participated) and I feel good about it–but it got me to thinking… 🙂 Here’s my story: Get Up, or Die!

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  25. I did it to myself…too much blogging and facebooking…sat way too long…I hate to say it, “My husband was right!”…He said I would be hurting from sitting at the computer too long…Now I am on meds and going to a chiropractor for my siatic nerve and my sacroiliac…”Suffering!”…So I say “YES!” to exercise whether it be push ups, walking or stretching where we can get back to our “beloved blogging”…

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