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exploring is. To any individual, it’s obvious what exploration is. I have an image in my mind of what exploring looks like, and so do you, and so do kids, and so on. But the thing is, every person pictures a different image. When I picture an intrepid explorer, I see myself hiking across a mountain ridge. Conversely, you might see yourself walking in the forest, and a child might envision themselves conquering the world atop a dinosaur. The term “explore” is a whole lot less defined than we might think.

Therefore, the first thing to do when exploring a new city is to figure out what your group’s definition of exploring is. Some people explore like Lewis and Clark, diving deep into the unknown with nothing but a backpack to protect them for months on end. Other people say those people are nuts; for them, exploring is nothing more than taking a couple of food-n-beer bus tours around town. Those two activities couldn’t be much more different, but they do both fit under the banner of exploration. Gather your whole squad together and talk about what exploring means to you. It can be tough to get everyone to agree, so compromises are often in order. You’ll know you’ve found a good balance of group interests when no one complains about the types of shoes required for scheduled activities.

Next, it’s time to set some goals. Where are we going, and when do we have to be there? If Bob wants to hit every food truck in Portland, and Sarah wants to see every bookstore in Portland, and Bob and Sarah can’t bear to be separated, they’re going to have to come up with a pre-arranged travel plan. If your crew is the kind that likes to see as much as possible, it’s best to plot out an overabundance of places to visit. I did this when staying in the Portland Pearl District, and it was well worth it. My friend Emily wanted to visit Powell’s City of Books, and since she’s a big bibliophile, I knew she’d stay there a few hours. Far too long for my video game-rotted mind. I can only read for about 30 minutes at a time, so after visiting only two or three neighborhoods in the City of Books, I took my leave. There’s virtually no end to the number of indie boutiques and hip bars in the Pearl District. Since I had previously picked out the venues I wanted to check out, it was easy for me to walk to every shop on my list while Emily finished perusing the goods at Powell’s.

Now, not everywhere you go is going to be as closely packed with cool attractions as the Portland Pearl District. I was lucky enough to be able to walk anywhere I wanted to go on that occasion, but we can’t always be so fortunate. That brings us to our third task: figuring out the method(s) of transportation you’re going to use to explore your destination of choice. This is easily the least exciting aspect of planning a vacation, which makes it an easy step to skip. Don’t do it! You’ll find yourself at the Portland Zoo, 15 minutes after they close, pounding on the gates and begging the guard to let you in to see the fluffy penguins, all because you couldn’t be bothered to plan ahead. Personal experience may vary, but you get the gist of it. From bicycles to helicopters, plan out which vehicles you’ll need,when you’ll need them, and how you’ll get them.

We’ve been focusing a lot on research and thinking out your moves ahead of time. The final thing you have to do is to remember to allow for some spontaneity. Don’t be afraid to follow your heart or your nose. If you smell the best aroma you’ve ever come across, chase it! If you see a cute stranger lurking in a dark alley, actually don’t chase after them, though. Safety first. But after safety has been established, take some risks and get a little wild with it. Exploration is great with a little side of adventure to go with it.

If you are in the business of seeking out adventures, you can’t go wrong with a little advice from other people who have been to the city you’re exploring. For example, my trip to Portland was helped along by this article on weird and wonderful Portland places. Or, if you’re more into conversations than research, just ask the locals about the best things to see and do. More often than not, they’ll know of a hidden gem or two that align with your interests.

So, let’s review. First, you and your crew have to agree on what exploration means to you. Second, you set goals for the places and events you want to see in your city. Third, establish a plan for how you’re going to achieve those goals. Finally, don’t be afraid to throw all that planning out the window once you get to the city. Chat with locals, feel out what works for you, and remember the most important rule of all – have fun!

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It might not surprise you that American adults sit more now than at any other time in history. According to the American Heart Association, sedentary jobs have increased by 83% since 1950. For most people, more than half of a typical day is spent sitting, and many experts claim that this can have an adverse effect on our health. Recent studies have linked prolonged total sedentary time with obesity, diabetes, cancer, back pain, and psychological distress. Dr. Bomi Joseph delves into the details of why sedentary behaviour can be so damaging, and how we avoid it.

Dr. Bomi Joseph is the Director of Peak Health Center, and promotes the concept of ‘endohealth’, or ‘health from within’. He points out that degeneration of the body accounts for 86% of all diseases today and explains that pharmaceutical drugs only lead to long-term issues. He believes that the most effective way to maintain health is through self-discipline, which he also champions as “self-love.” Dr. Joseph knows how important it is to get your body moving and looks back into human history to get some perspective.

Whether we were tending our crops or hunting wild boars, most of our lives as human beings have been lived on our feet. Our bodies have been designed with abundant energy and a natural capacity for explosive movements. If you take children as an example, their energy is abundant. Humans have very limber tissue when they are young, but the industrial revolution has moved us away from nature and motion; cars, labor-saving gadgets and devices are all making us stagnate. These conveniences are making us inactive, and it is not age that does us in, it is too much inactive time, time without motion. Dr. Bomi Joseph explains that sitting for too long decays our neuromuscular tissue (NMT) – the tissue that lies in between our muscles and tendons. The NMT is the second most “expensive” tissue in the body to maintain—the brain is number one. So, with our NMT, we must “use it or lose it.”

Living a Sedentary Lifestyle

NMT aside, what does live a sedentary lifestyle mean? It can either mean insufficient physical activity or excessive sitting. It is an energy expenditure of less than or equal to 1.5 metabolic equivalents while in a sitting, reclining or lying posture. By this definition, sedentary behaviour includes any seated activity, including computer work, watching television, or even driving in a car. The average person spends roughly 8-10 hours sitting, which, for some, is more time than is slept in a night.

An estimated two-thirds of adults fail to obtain adequate exercise, which makes physical inactivity a health risk that pertains to a large portion of the American population. Here is the kicker: according to new research, Dr. Bomi Joseph explains that even if we meet physical activity guidelines, the benefits of such exercise could be ‘undone’ if the rest of our waking hours are spent sitting down. To dive further in, consider a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine headed by Keith M. Diaz.

Researchers looked at 47 studies examining the relationship between sitting and mortality. They found that people who sit for long periods were 24 percent more likely to die from health problems during the studies (which last between 1 and 16 years), compared with people who sat less. The 47 studies did not have a standard cut-off to define how much sitting is too much, but the study’s lead researcher explained that if you sit more than eight hours a day, it is linked to negative health effects. Researchers also found that excessive sitting was associated with an 18 percent increased risk of dying of cardiovascular disease and a 17 percent increased risk of dying from cancer during study periods. Sitting for too long was also tied to a 91 percent increased risk of getting Diabetes Type 2. This study, and studies like it, highlight the importance of daily movement, as it can negatively impact your entire body.

Sitting for too long affects your body in various different ways. The more a person sits, the thinner regions of the brain associated with memory tend to be. Dr. Bomi Joseph explains that our brains need a constant supply of blood and oxygen to function properly but sitting for long periods can cause our blood circulation to slow, along with our brain function. A slowing of blood circulation also has adverse affects on your legs, which, after long periods of time not moving, causes everything from swollen legs to varicose veins to the more problematic deep vein thrombosis. Poor posture while sitting can also compress spinal disks, often leading to chronic back pain and worse. Because spines that are inactive become inflexible, they are also more likely to get injured doing minimal tasks.

A Step in the Right Direction

There are a few things you can do to get yourself moving, whether you are a retired athlete or work at a sedentary job. The first is to take every opportunity you get to stand up. As a culture, most of our business and social affairs take place in a seated position, so whenever possible, find ways to turn them into walking meetings. When you are one-on-one, try suggesting a walk, and if it is a phone meeting, force yourself to stand up throughout your call—talking has also been known to help your ideas flow.

Another thing you can do is actively find ways to exercise. It is most of our first instincts to find the closest parking to the grocery store, or use an escalator instead of the stairs, but think of these as opportunities for movement. Whenever there is a choice: walk. This may seem like a novice idea, but you would be surprised at how many calories this ends up being at the end of the day. Another key tip is to get off a stop before the one closest to your home if you are taking public transit, it will force you to take some additional steps and take in the local scenery.

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