steps taken
minutes Total UnSit Time
"Researchers found the foot’s impact on the ground during walking sends pressure waves through the arteries that significantly increase the supply of blood to the brain. Greater impact was shown through running, but the study saw a significant enough increase of blood flow for a better-working brain and boost to overall well-being simply by walking."
Why should you UnSit ? A lot of reasons. Let’s start with your Health. The detrimental effects of sitting are well documented. Research shows that walking at work is the best way to undo those negative changes. Time. The competition for our time is at an all time high whether it’s work, family, your health or your favorite apps. It seems there is simply not enough time in the day. Studies show that a trip to the gym won’t undo the damage done by sitting all day but taking 10,000 steps at work will prevent that damage in the first place. Skip the gym after work and you just gained several hours a week. Creativity/Productivity. A recent study conducted at Stanford University found that people are 60% more creative while walking. And we’ve experienced that in real life: ever been stuck on a problem then solved it while on a walk? Something magical happens when we start walking. It’s like we’re freeing up our brains to really think.
Since we launched UnSit we have been gathering news articles and reports of scientific studies that document the ill health effects of prolonged sitting and validate the benefits of walking. There is so much information we divided up this page into five categories: Health - Productivity - Creativity - Our Blogs and Videos, see the filter buttons below. Check back from time to time and see what’s new and let us know if you see something that should be included on this page.
One of the best explanations of why you should UnSit your life is Dr. James Levine’s book GetUP. We consider GetUp to be the founding document of the UnSit movement. This book is a well researched, inspiring book and you can buy it on our SHOP page.
How walking benefits the brain
"You probably know that walking does your body good, but it's not just your heart and muscles that benefit. Researchers found that the foot's impact during walking sends pressure waves through the arteries that significantly modify and can increase the supply of blood to the brain.
Six Reasons Why Walking Is The Daily Brain Medicine We Really Need - Forbes
"Sometimes science jibes with ancient wisdom on simple but deceptively powerful things. Case in point: walking. A wealth of research bolsters the Zen of putting one foot in front of the other, with stronger science than any supplement marketer or brain trainer could hope for. Walking is potent mood medicine that enhances thinking, sharpens memory and safeguards brain health."
Stanford study finds walking improves creativity - Stanford News
"Stanford researchers found that walking boosts creative inspiration. They examined creativity levels of people while they walked versus while they sat. A person's creative output increased by an average of 60 percent when walking."
Your Brain Before and After 20-Minute Walk
This image shows that after a 20-minute walk there is increased brain activity and the particular type of activity is generally associated with happiness. It is a useful reminder of the interconnectedness of the mind and body. It is also a good reminder that by exercising our bodies, we also reinvigorate our brains.
Why Everyone From Beethoven, Goethe, Dickens, Darwin To Steve Jobs Took Long Walks and Why You Should Too - Canva Design School
"Steve Jobs was famous in the area for his long walks, which he used for exercise, contemplation, problem solving, and even meetings.
And Jobs was not alone. Through history the best minds have found that walking, whether a quick five minute jaunt, or a long four hour trek, has helped them compose, write, paint, and create."
WHY WALKING HELPS US THINK - The New Yorker
"What is it about walking, in particular, that makes it so amenable to thinking and writing? The answer begins with changes to our chemistry. When we go for a walk, the heart pumps faster, circulating more blood and oxygen not just to the muscles but to all the organs—including the brain."
How Walking in Nature Changes the Brain - The New York Times
"A walk in the park may soothe the mind and, in the process, change the workings of our brains in ways that improve our mental health, according to an interesting new study of the physical effects on the brain of visiting nature."
Work. Walk 5 Minutes. Work. - The New York Times
"Stuck at your work desk? Standing up and walking around for five minutes every hour during the workday could lift your mood, combat lethargy without reducing focus and attention, and even dull hunger pangs, according to an instructive new study."
