Sitting for too long each day has serious health risks.
Sitting is a norm. Americans are sitting an average of 13 hours a day, according to a survey by Ergotron, a manufacturer of sit-stand desks. Riding in cars and sitting in chairs is wreaking havoc on our bodies. The human body is not designed for a sedentary lifestyle. Yet too many of us go home from work to sit on the couch to watch our favorite TV shows.
Sitting for long periods of time can do more damage than you think.
Heart disease
A survey of over 120,000 participants found men and women who sat more than six hours a day died earlier from heart disease than those who limited sitting for no more than three hours a day. Published in the America Journal of Epidemiology, this study has become a standard reference for the direct connection of heart disease and prolonged sitting to mortality.
Obesity
Exercise and diet have been the traditional main focus for weight control, but a third factor plays an important role, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic. Movement during the day between exercise sessions is equally important.
Diet and exercise can bring the weight down, but adding frequent and ongoing movement throughout the day accelerates weight loss. Continuing this extra daily movement helps keep the weight off. Let it become part of your lifestyle.
Type 2 diabetes
Blood sugar levels and insulin in the body are directly affected by prolonged sitting. Sedentary people are more likely to be obese and to develop type 2 diabetes, according to an article published in Diabetologia. Findings from 18 studies with more than 800,000 participants showed greater occurrence of type 2 diabetes if participants sat for prolonged periods of time.
Tips for healthy living
Hold walking meetings. Get out of the conference room to walk and talk. Of course, connect at the end to capture notes about ideas and agreements that came from the time together. Maybe meetings on the golf course are a great idea, after all.
Park your exercise bike in front of the TV. The evening news and the sporting events are important, but so is your health. Take multi-tasking to a new level.
Take phone calls outside. Earphones and cell phones let us be mobile and still accomplish our many tasks. Can’t go outside? Just stand up to talk. A fresh perspective adds to the conversation.
Deliver your email in person. Walk to those nearby instead of sending an email. Collect a list of items to discuss to make each trip more meaningful. Can’t walk to them? Call instead, while you are standing up. Encourage your colleague to stand up as well.
Become a trendsetter with the new treadmill desk. The desk has been introduced by Dr. James A. Levine, M.D., Ph.D., the director of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University Obesity Solutions. Levine is credited with the well-known mantra, “Sitting is the new smoking.” This standing desk concept has spread around the world as a tool for better health.
Take 10,000 steps a day. The impact of this extra movement can be profound. Weight loss and increased energy are apparent. Most people report feeling better. Posture becomes more important, with the shoulders up and the back straightened, taking the strain off the neck. Back pain disappears for many people.
Jennifer E. Closshey, Ph.D., is a doctor of integrative health based out of Plant City. Contact her at JenniferClosshey@gmail.com.
