What is The “20:8:2” Rule?
- The “20:8:2” Rule is a guide to help people remember the length of time they should spend in various positions and postures.
- Within a 30-minute time frame, a person should sit no longer than 20 mins, spend 8 minutes standing and 2 minutes moving.
- Moving can consist of simply walking or actively stretching
Who Should Follow This Rule?
- Everybody!
- Especially students or those who work a desk job for a living. It is really easy to get wrapped up in your computer for multiple hours and forget to move. Not good!
- Someone recovering from a recent knee or hip replacement to prevent stiffness and swelling.
- It can take up to 6 months for post-operative swelling to go away. Therefore, making sure your body is not in a static position for more than 20 minutes at a time is vital! Walking results in your lower extremity muscles acting as a pump to your blood vessels to relieve swelling.
Why Should I Follow This Rule?
- Sitting for long periods of time is proven to negatively impact your body and health by:
- Decreasing your metabolism = weight gain
- Decreasing your energy levels, ability to focus, concentrate and ability to be productive
- Increasing your cholesterol, blood pressure, risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease
- Weakening your muscles and bones
- Developing poor posture and joint/muscle pain
Oops…I didn’t Follow The Rule! Now What?
- Did you forget to move and are now dealing with joint and muscle pain? It’s not too late to make change but you might need some guidance! At this point it could be hard to learn how to start moving if you are already in pain.
- At ProMet Physical Therapy, our Physical Therapists are movement specialists and can help you learn how to get started! We will evaluate your current condition, assess the best way to get you moving and guide you towards prevents further issues in the future.
- Call today to make an appointment at one of our Glendale, Briarwood or Manhasset locations!
