There is a lot of research about how sitting for long periods each day has negative health consequences. It's much better to take a break every 30 minutes or so and walk around. The negative effects of not doing so aren't fixed even by having a period of moderate exercise every day, unless that period gets into the range of an hour. But during breaks every 30 minutes, you don't need to do much. Just walking around makes a huge difference.
To try and be healthier, I've been combining that understanding with the Pomodoro technique. I set a timer on my watch for 30 minutes while sitting at my terminal, then get up for 5 minutes and walk around (also timed). Sometimes I have chores to do during the walking period, sometimes I just relax, and sometimes I use it to break out of any mental ruts I've gotten into and think at a higher level about the task at hand.
I pretty much always feel that my overall productivity is enhanced by this approach. But it would be justified purely by the health benefits. I don't do this as a replacement for a schedule of moderate exercise. I try to do that too.
To try and be healthier, I've been combining that understanding with the Pomodoro technique. I set a timer on my watch for 30 minutes while sitting at my terminal, then get up for 5 minutes and walk around (also timed). Sometimes I have chores to do during the walking period, sometimes I just relax, and sometimes I use it to break out of any mental ruts I've gotten into and think at a higher level about the task at hand.
I pretty much always feel that my overall productivity is enhanced by this approach. But it would be justified purely by the health benefits. I don't do this as a replacement for a schedule of moderate exercise. I try to do that too.
https://www.bloomberg.com/quicktake/dangers-of-sitting
http://neurosciencenews.com/sitting-brain-health-8774/