Greeting
Good evening, fellow Toastmasters.
Opening
StatementAfter a long day working, it's ok to get home and sit to relax, maybe watch a movie or navigate the internet. Nothing like to enjoy your favorite couch, or to play a game while sitting in your ergonomic chair. After all, our bodies love to sit, right?
Well. Not really. Sure, sitting for brief periods can help us recover from stress or recuperate from exercise. But nowadays, our lifestyles make us sit much more than we move around, and our bodies simply aren't built for such a sedentary existence. In fact, just the opposite is true.
Argument
The human body is built to move, and you can see evidence of that in the way it's structured. Inside us are over 360 joints, and about 700 skeletal muscles that enable easy, fluid motion. The body's unique physical structure gives us the ability to stand up straight against the pull of gravity. Our blood depends on us moving around to be able to circulate properly. Our nerve cells benefit from movement, and our skin is elastic, meaning it molds to our motions. So if every inch of the body is ready and waiting for you to move, what happens when you just don't?
Authorities
Recent studies have found that sitting for long periods is linked with some types of cancers and heart disease and can contribute to diabetes, kidney and liver problems. In fact, researchers have worked out that, worldwide, inactivity causes about 9% of premature deaths a year. That's over 5 million people. So what seems like such a harmless habit actually has the power to change our health. But luckily, the solutions to this mounting threat are simple and intuitive.
Research shows that adding even a modest amount of walking to your daily routine can dramatically improve your health. So, what exactly happens to your body when you increase your daily step count? A single afternoon stroll can improve your mood and ease symptoms of anxiety and depression. Walking, especially at a brisk pace, is thought to trigger the release of pain-relieving endorphins and curb the release of the stress hormone cortisol.
Within weeks of adding more steps to your routine, your body adapts. While it may seem simple, walking requires the coordination and effort of many muscles in your legs, torso, and back. To keep up with the increase in energy demand, the vessels around these muscles are remodeled to deliver more oxygen. At the same time, your heart becomes more efficient at pumping blood. In a few months, these changes can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Carrying the weight of your body as you walk places stress on the bones. But this stress actually makes the bones stronger, as it stimulates the absorption of calcium and minerals. That's why years of consistent walking can help retain bone density, which usually declines with age.
Examples
Building a lifelong walking habit comes with many other benefits, from aiding in weight management to reducing your risk for type 2 diabetes, numerous cancers, and dementia. Simply put, walking is exercise. And unlike other forms, it doesn’t require equipment, and is often more accessible to people of varying ages and fitness levels. While activity trackers usually bill 10,000 steps as the ideal benchmark, studies show that any increase in steps per day can yield health benefits. And these steps don't need to be taken continuously. For those who live in walkable neighborhoods, steps are easily accumulated throughout the day; walking to work, to pick up groceries, or to meet with friends.
Conclusion
But, if you have no choice but to sit, try switching the slouch for a straighter spine, and when you don't have to be bound to your seat, aim to move around much more, perhaps by setting a reminder to yourself to get up every half hour. But mostly, just appreciate that bodies are built for motion, not for stillness. So, when this Toastmaster session finishes, remember those words that since ancient times bring health, and even life, "Rise up and walk". Your body will thank you later.
