Get up!

A must read for every human being living in modern sedentary times!

I expected a boring book with statistics and a layer of guilt on top. What I found was a humorous discussion on how ridiculous humans are and a hope that we can become better and avoid death by chair.

This book definitely got me moving! James A Levine had always been obsessed with movement - measuring it, studying it, performing experiments around it.... in fact, he was so fascinated with the concept as a child that he used to collect snails, let them loose in his bedroom just to see how they move. (And I'm sure creating quite a mess that would've horrified his poor mother).
Other readers found the anecdotes unnecessary. I thought it at first, but realised that they were a colourful way to illustrate his point. So don't hold it against him.
So, Levine is convinced that obesity is directly caused by “lethal sitting”, and I'm actually convinced. I'm a great illustration of that. From 2012-2015, I had a job that demanded that I be on my feet at least 6 hours a day. Once, I measured my steps using a pedometer and discovered to my amazement that I regularly walk at least 6km to 10km a day at my job! On top of that I was lifting heavy weights as well.
Well, fast forward to 2016 and I became a desk jockey. I have piled on the pounds eventhough I have not changed my diet that much. I have lost that daily 6km of walking that I used to do. I need to replicate the “NEAT” movement that I've lost in order to keep my weight down again.
I kept this book at 3 stars only because Levine, while offering ideas and solutions for corporations and schools, do not offer concrete steps or programmes to the individual on how to decrease their sitting time - especially if they are at workinng a desk job at a company that is resistant to the change he proposes. Still, you can get some ideas on how to change your life from the book.
Since reading it, I've made it a point to walk or stand as much as I can, and at work, to get up and walk every hour for 5-10 minutes. Just a few days in, and I'm already feeling better.