What does your weekly schedule look like? Is it packed with 40 or more hours of work, errands, and then once the weekend hits you try to squeeze in some time for a concert or a movie night? It likely comes as no surprise that most Americans live incredibly busy lives. According to the World Economic Forum the average number of working hours per American is at 1,780 hours a year.^[1] The average American spends around 8.39 hours a day working and 3.18 hours on leisure activities and sports.^[2]

We certainly are busy, but how “active” are most Americans really? When it comes to physical activity less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day.^[3] Only 1 in 3 adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week.^[4] Only 1 in 3 children are physically active every day.^[5] And, sedentary jobs have increased 83% since 1950; physically active jobs now make up less than 20% of our workforce. In 1960, about half of the US workforce was physically active.^[6]

Busy Bees, Without the Wings

Our lives are filled to the brim with occupied time but many of us are inactive. We are busy bees but without the flying, worker ants who barely move a muscle. In this piece we explore small ways you can get physical activity back into your day!

1. Use a Standing Desk

If your office provides a standing desk, we highly recommend you use it. If you work from home, we suggest you invest in one. According to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the longer you sit, the greater your risk is for dying from associated complications and diagnoses. This study found adults who kept periods of sitting under 30 minutes were at the lowest risk of death. ^[7] Remember to take time to stand every 30 minutes. If you don’t have access to a standing desk, get up and stretch or take a small walk around the building.

2. Walk or Cycle to Work or the Store

Looking to conveniently fit exercise into your daily routine? Make the switch from driving to walking or cycling. According to one study, commuting by cycling or walking was associated with a lower risk of mortality, adverse cardiovascular disease, and cancer outcomes.^[8] Walking or cycling to work or to the store also reduces your carbon footprint. More CO2 is emitted by the United States' transportation sector than any other nation's entire economy, except for China.^[9] Driving a car typically releases 271g of CO2 per km (0.621371 miles) and 313g is released during production of a car. While a bicycle only produces 16g of CO2 during production.^[10] If you live in an area where it is unsafe to cycle and walk or your commute is too long, then don’t worry, there are still plenty of other ways to incorporate physical activity into your day.

3. Don’t Forget to Take the Stairs!

Whether you work in a multi-floor office or live in an upstairs apartment, try taking the stairs more often. Taking the stairs is a practical and convenient way to get your steps in. We understand the ease of just hoping into the elevator, especially if you are tired from a long day or late night. But think of it this way - at least you don’t have to decide if that one person is close enough to hold the elevator door open and you can avoid elevator small talk. If you don’t work or live in a building that has stairs, make sure to take that opportunity to take the stairs when you are out at the airport, a civic building, parking garage, etc.

4. Park Farther Away

We know many factors can come into play with where you choose to park. If you live in a hot place like Phoenix or Las Vegas your criteria for parking may be based on available shade. If you live in Denver, you may be looking for any spot that isn’t covered with snow. But if you have the ability to park anywhere in a lot, choose a spot that is farther from the entrance. This is an easy way to get your legs moving during your day.

5. Play with your Pets More Often!

Not only can playing with your pets be good for their own health, both mentally and physically, it allows you to move around too. Take your dog for a walk, play fetch or tug-a-war with them, get more active with your cat by wiggling strings or feathers or toss them a ball.

Making Time for Moments

When was the last time you went to a concert, festival, or took part in a charity run? Do you wish you had more time to enjoy these types of events and activities? To make time to enjoy the activities we love takes a combination of time management and access to convenience. Here are some of our time management tips:

1. Plan Ahead

We know this can be easier said than done. The challenge not so much being in planning but sticking to your plan. Have an idea of what you need to get done a day before or make a daily plan first thing in the morning. Then remember to follow through! You’ll find you will be able to fit more in a day.

2. Eliminate Distractions

What interrupts your day, your routine? Pin point those and try to eliminate them. This can help you work smarter not harder. This can also mean a practice in self-control. For example, you may find that social media or an app game distracts you too much.

3. Get Tasks Done in the Morning

What do you absolutely need to get done today? Get those important chores done first. This frees up the rest of the day for more leisurely activities. If you are the type of person who has the most energy in the morning, might as well get tasks done when you aren’t feeling sluggish.

See Life Without Limits

From getting your groceries delivered to online doctor appointments to smart speakers, we have many services and products that make life easier and gives us more free time. 

When it comes to visual restrictions Paragon CRT^® Contact Lenses offers freedom from glasses and daytime contacts. Whether you are in the middle of a mosh pit, running around with the kids in the yard, or out on the boat you don’t have to worry about losing your contacts or breaking your glasses.

Paragon CRT^® lenses treat nearsightedness, also known as myopia. Nearsightedness is where faraway objects are blurry. Paragon CRT^® lenses are FDA approved to be worn overnight. ^[11] Take them out in the morning for improved vision that lasts all day.

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It all starts with a visit to a certified Paragon CRT^® eyecare professional. Make sure daytime contacts or glasses don’t get in the way of your busy day. Ask your eye doctor if they carry Paragon CRT^®.

Paragon CRT^® corrective lenses can help you live your life without limits.

[1] Organisation for EconomicCo-operation and Development. Employment - Hours worked - OECD Data. (2018). Retrieved March 21, 2019, from https://data.oecd.org/emp/hours-worked.htm

[2] Bureau of Labor Statistics. Charts related to the latest "American Time Use Survey" news release   |   More chart packages. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21, 2019, from https://www.bls.gov/charts/american-time-use/activity-by-work.htm

[3] U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietary-guidelines

[4] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/healthy_people/hp2010.htm

[5] National Association for Sport and Physical Education.The Fitness Equation: Physical Activity + Balanced Diet = Fit Kids.Reston, VA: National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 1999.

[6] American Heart Association. The Price of Inactivity. (2015, January). Retrieved March 21, 2019, from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/PhysicalActivity/StartWalking/The-Price-of-Inactivity_UCM_307974_Article.jsp#.XJEQxNVKhEb

[7] Annals of Internal Medicine. Diaz, K. M., Howard, V. J., Colabianchi, N., Vena, J. E., Safford, M. M., Blair, S. N., . . . Brent Hutto. (2017, October 03). Patterns of Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A National Cohort Study. Retrieved from https://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/2653704/patterns-sedentary-behavior-mortality-u-s-middle-aged-older-adults

[8] Celis-Morales, C. A., Lyall, D. M., Welsh, P., Anderson, J., Steell, L., Guo, Y., . . . Gill, J. M. (2017). Association between active commuting and incident cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality: Prospective cohort study. BMJ. Retrieved March 21, 2019, from https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1456.

[9] Greene, D., and Schafer, A., 2003 Prepared for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - December 2008 https://www.saferoutespartnership.org/sites/default/files/pdf/SRTS_GHG_lo_res.pdf

[10] Blondel, B., Mispelon, C., & Ferguson, J. (2011). Cycle More Often 2 Cool Down the Planet! Quantifying CO2 savings of cycling (Rep.). European Cyclists’ Federation. doi:https://ecf.com/files/wp-content/uploads/ECF_BROCHURE_EN_planche.pdf

[11] FDA Approval Letter