Chair Sabbath: A Healthy Habit for Young (and Old) Professionals

I’m thinking about going for a walk. I need one. I spent almost two weeks of this month in a sedentary state due to illness, and now I need to get back into shape. Of course, I still dream like a 20-something, convinced of being strong, being invincible, being able to set, reach, and exceed goals, which means I’m eagerly rubbing my hands together for nothing less than a super hike.

The Susquehanna Super Hike, to be exact. It describes itself with words like "daunting" and "strenuous," "steep" and "rocky." Okay, I think, I can handle that. Hiking actually constitutes part of my job. On most days, I sit in front of a screen responding to emails, participating in video conference calls, planning events, and writing. Eventually, however, that planning comes to fruition, and I lead a group into the outdoors for a few days of physical activity. In other words, I've done "steep." Even "strenuous."

I read on. The Super Hike is 29 miles long.

Over how many days? I wonder. Three would be great.

Just one. Half of one. Eleven hours, to be precise.

Eleven hours? And I’d need to be ready by the first week of September? I got winded only last Wednesday when I walked halfway up the block and back. Perhaps I should consider something more manageable. (We'll see.)

"Sitting is Killing You"

Dr. Mike Evans has a visual lecture called 23-1/2 Hours, in which he makes a compelling (and entertaining) argument for the importance of walking. Not a lot of walking, or speed walking, or competitive-Super-Hike walking. Just walking. My colleague, Derek Melleby, referenced this lecture in Navigating Life After College: 5 Videos, 5 Books, a resource list to help young professionals find grounding in their faith, vision, outlook, and health as they launch their careers. Derek had this to say about the video to his audience:

"It is never too early to think more intentionally about your physical health. In fact, during the first few years out of college you will develop habits and disciplines that will stick with you for the rest of your life. Take a walk."

With so much of our work lives requiring time on the digital landscape, we need a change of scenery. You’ve probably seen Sitting is Killing You, an infographic-gone-viral. To be honest, it scares me. If the Bible describes my body as "the temple of the Holy Spirit," and this temple sits most of every day, then according to the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal, that temple is 54% more likely to die of a heart attack. This reference from Men’s Health adds, "Similar research actually dates back to 1953, when British researchers found that (sitting) bus drivers were twice as likely to die of heart attacks as (standing) trolley operators."

For sanity’s sake, for blood flow, for faithful living, we need to move. The Super Hike may be a bit out of range for me right now, but I’ve got to start somewhere.

Check out 23-1/2 Hours. Then go for a walk.

Image by greekadman. Used with permission. Sourced via Flickr. Post by Sam Van Eman, Young Professionals editor and narrator of A Beautiful Trench It Was.