EVEN IF YOU EXERCISE.
How many hours a day do you sit? How many hours a day on average do you think most people sit? Would it surprise you to learn that most people sit between 7.7 hours a day with some studies finding up to 15 hours a day? That’s a lot of sitting! Would it also surprise you that even if you exercise –this alone might not be enough to reduce the risk for disease?
The findings come from a recent study at the University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto that looked at 47 studies examining the relationship between sitting and mortality. The findings concluded that people who sit too much every day are at an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and shorter life spans, even if they exercise. The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
How much is too much sitting?
The study found that “more than one half of an average persons day is spent being sedentary—sitting, watching TV or working at a computer.” The study didn’t define how much sitting is too much but more than eight hours is obviously too much. The reason excessive sitting is harmful to our health is that excessive sitting affects our body’s metabolic system. Our bodies are breaking down from obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, depression and a whole host of every day health ailments now referred to as the sitting disease.
The obvious remedy to siting is to stand—while you do any number of activities.
This list comes from the Just Stand Organization. http://www.juststand.org
- Walk more at work: Park your car farther away from your building; use stairs not elevators; take a long route to the restroom or mail room.
- While computing, set a timer to remind you to stand up and stretch every half hour; take this time to pick-up and clean your work area.
- Stand up or move around when you talk on the phone.
- Don’t send emails if the recipient is near; walk over and talk to him or her.
- Avoid long sitting commutes by standing on the bus, subway or train.
- When watching TV, lose the remote; get up to change the channels.
- Stand or exercise while you watch TV, or just stand and move around during commercial breaks.
- During intense gaming, stand up in between sessions and screen loads.
Another solution is to try an adjustable standing desk that enables you to work on your computer while standing but also sit when you need to rest.
#sitting #healthy #active #fitness
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