Scared Sitless

Scared Sitless

The Office Fitness Book

About the Book

"Scared Sitless" offers an antidote to "sitting disease," that surprising new affliction which results when we plop down on our derrieres for hours on end. It may not actually be "the new smoking," as so many headlines claim, but the consequences of our sedentary ways are definitely catching up with us. Fortunately, the remedy is straightforward: Develop better office fitness habits to sit less and move more.

This book sets out the science behind "sitting disease" and shows you how to fight it.

It also helps you cope with the muscle aches and pains and other discomfort that can result from a poor ergonomics set-up and sub-optimal posture. Ergonomics is all too often an annual ritual visit from someone in HR, or a one-time intervention when you get a new desk. Taking charge of your own ergonomics situation can help keep you comfortable and productive every day, not just in the few days after you get your new keyboard. Likewise, cultivating a little more postural awareness at work can keep you from curling up into that pillbug posture that so often comes with desk work.

Naturally, exercise and movement are an important component of office fitness. The book shows you how to add more routine movement to your work day and how to do "no-sweat workouts" right at your desk, as well as home and gym workouts tailored to your unique needs as an office worker.

Ideally, you want your new office fitness behaviors to become automatic, so there's a whole chapter that shows you how to turn them into habits. Like all of the book, the habit chapter draws on the latest research and best practices to give you an evidence-based action plan for staying fit and healthy at work.

Publishing Schedule

The e-book version of "Scared Sitless" will be available in its "beta" edition here on Leanpub from August 18 through September 28, 2014. After that , beginning September 29, the e-book will be available exclusively at Amazon for 90 days in their Kindle Direct Publishing Select program. I'm not super-happy about removing the book from Leanpub.com during that period, but (for now anyway) there are more people buying books at Amazon than here, and the KDP Select program (which requires that you offer the electronic version of your book only on Amazon during the 90 days) offers me a number of benefits as a publisher and author. A print version of the book will be published in mid to late October, and the e-book version will return here after the KDP Select exclusivity period ends.

About the Author

Larry Swanson
Larry Swanson

Larry Swanson is a massage therapist and personal trainer in downtown Seattle, WA, where he has focused on helping computer-using, desk-bound office workers since 1999.

Prior to his massage career, Larry worked in both old-fashioned print publishing and then in online publishing for three early dot-com start-ups.

A reformed juggler and occasional percussionist, Larry now nurtures his show-biz side as a behind-the-scenes volunteer for events like the Moisture Festival, TEDxRainier, and Northwest Folklife.

He calls himself a dual-career professional, doing his writing and publishing in the morning and massage therapy in the afternoon.

Table of Contents

  • Foreword
  • Prologue
  • Introduction: A New Conception of Fitness
    • Sources
  • Chapter 1: Sitting and Other Hazards of Office Work
    • Why We Sit
    • The Science behind “Sitting Disease”
    • Both Sedentariness and Stationariness Are Problems
    • Office Work Is Repetitive
    • Office Work Is Stressful
    • What to Do about These Hazards
    • Suggested Reading
    • Sources
  • Chapter 2: Habits and Behavior Change
    • The Fogg Behavioral Model
    • Habits Defined
    • How to Develop Office Fitness Habits
    • Suggested Reading
    • Sources
  • Chapter 3: The Antidote to Sitting Disease
    • The Trouble with Laborsaving Devices
    • Moving is NEAT
    • How to Get Moving at Work
    • Developing Routine Movement Habits
    • Suggested Reading
    • Sources
  • Chapter 4: Office Ergonomics
    • Principles of Ergonomics
    • Chair Ergonomics
    • Desk Ergonomics
    • Standing Desk Ergonomics
    • Treadmill Desk Ergonomics
    • Computer Ergonomics
    • Computer Keyboard Ergonomics
    • Pointing-Device Ergonomics
    • Computer Monitor Ergonomics
    • Laptop Ergonomics
    • Tablet and Smart Phone Ergonomics
    • Telephone Ergonomics
    • Developing Better Ergonomics Habits
    • Suggested Reading
    • Sources
  • Chapter 5: Posture in the Office
    • Why Posture Matters
    • The Psychology of Posture
    • Recognizing Good Posture
    • Observation: The Yogi Berra Approach to Posture
    • Body Awareness: The Experiential Approach to Posture
    • Visualizations to Improve Your Posture
    • High-Tech Postural Awareness
    • Developing Better Posture Habits
    • Suggested Reading
    • Sources
  • Chapter 6: Exercise for Office-Work Patterns
    • The Benefits of Exercise
    • How Much Exercise Do You Need?
    • Principles of Exercise Science
    • An Exercise Plan for Office Workers
    • Exercises for Office Work Patterns
    • No-Sweat Exercises
    • Stealth Exercises
    • Fun Exercise Ideas
    • Fitting Exercise into Your Schedule
    • Developing Better Exercise Habits
    • Suggested Reading
    • Sources

Causes Supported

Oxfam America

Right the Wrong
http://www.oxfamamerica.org

Oxfam America is a global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger, and injustice. We save lives, develop long-term solutions to poverty, and campaign for social change. As one of 17 members of the international Oxfam confederation, we work with people in more than 90 countries to create lasting solutions.

Oxfam America is a global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger, and injustice. We save lives, develop long-term solutions to poverty, and campaign for social change. As one of 17 members of the international Oxfam confederation, we work with people in more than 90 countries to create lasting solutions. Our vision: A just world without poverty. Our mission: To create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and social injustice.

About the Publisher

This book is published on Leanpub by Elless Media, LLC

Seattle-based Elless Media publishes fitness, massage, and business information.

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