Walking the Walk

Once upon a time quack doctors led the way for a whole band of opportunists, waving some product or other in front of our aging or acne-covered faces, along with the promise to cure our ills.

Systems, regimes and products, claiming to load the odds of health and well-being in our favour, have long been the staple of ‘magazine’ programmes and Sunday supplements. Now we’re in the age of study findings, and almost any news item or article that begins with “research shows” or “results of a study published today” is like to get our undivided attention.

A little over a week ago, I was reading Nilofer Merchant’s article on how sitting is the new smoking, in terms of its cumulative lethal effects. Today, I noticed that the introduction of treadmill desks is being taken seriously, in an effort to combat the sedentary lifestyle. Merchant already flagged up the ‘walking meeting’, now we have the typing treadmill. Some secretaries might already be familiar with the term, but for totally different reasons.

Sedentary Lifestyle: Couch potato (Photo credit: FBellon)

I’m left wondering if people might be in danger of going too far in the other direction. My dentist used to run a full ten miles to work each day, “to keep my arteries from furring up,” he claimed. I learnt later that he’d stopped after developing pain in his hips after standing for long periods.

Perhaps, instead of constantly asking more of our bodies, we should try listening to them instead. What’s that? Tired of all this? Okay, you’re in luck. Take a nap and improve your memory.