By my estimation, those attending the ELCA Churchwide Assembly this week have sat for at least 30 hours during deliberations and worship. And for the women among us, that’s not good news.
A study released just in time for all this Lutheran sitting reports that women who sit the longest and exercise the least have twice the risk of death compared with women who are more active and sit less. Well, that’s sobering news for someone like me who sits a lot in my work. Sobering is an understatement.
Despite a sprawling hotel property that produces a lot of steps between one’s hotel room and the plenary space, our sitting here at the CWA has nearly reached a 40-hour work week magnitude. True, the ELCA Board of Pensions offered a run, walk and roll early each morning and one of our bishop’s offered a stretch and pray session each morning. But the truth remains, we sat a lot this week and some of us are going to pay more dearly for it.
Women, we need to make some changes in our lives and we need to support and encourage one another as we make those changes. I like some of the practical suggestions writer Rochelle Melander suggests on her blog today. You can find ideas on the Web for making your meetings healthier too; just Google “healthy meetings” you’ll get lots of responses.
Here at Women of the ELCA we’re engaged in a fight. A fight for our health. It’s all about Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls. What’s your best tip for moving more and sitting less?
As executive director, Linda Post Bushkofsky sits way too much in meetings. She’s vowing to change that!