Sitting is slowly undermining our health.

What’s wrong with sitting?

One in four Americans spends eight to eleven hours a day sitting.  This constitutes a sedentary lifestyle, whether or not we work out every day.  Sadly, working out for an hour every morning does not entitle us to sit more than is healthy the rest of the day. Don’t think that sitting too much only applies to office workers.  We sit when we drive, travel, at the movies, watching television, or while chatting or having meals or drinks with friends or family.

James A. Levine, MD, PhD coined the term “Sitting is the new smoking”.  He is the director of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative, and he believes that people lose up to two hours of life for every hour they spend sitting.  “Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.” says Levine.

We don’t burn calories when we’re sitting, and the excess calories get stored as fat and can lead to obesity. Obesity increases other risk factors like high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol which in turn raises the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and stroke. Just three to four hours of sitting can cause leg clots.  Too much sitting is being called a silent killer.

Specifically, studies are emerging that show that sitting for long periods increase the chance of developing specific types of cancer like lung, uterine and colon.  One study found that men who watched more than 23 hours of television a week had a 64% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than men who only watched 11 hours of television a week.

Research has shown that in Australia physical inactivity is the second highest cause of cancer after tobacco smoking. Globally, physical inactivity is linked to over 3 million preventable deaths every year.  Inactivity is ranked as the fourth leading cause of death resulting from non-communicable diseases.

Too much sitting can shorten our hip flexor muscles which will lead to problems with our hip joints.  Sitting can also cause problems with our backs, especially if we sit with bad posture or look down at our computer or cell phone.  Excessive sitting can also cause cognitive decline.

Do you need more convincing?  A 2011 study followed 800,000 people and their sitting habits. Researchers found that people who sat the most, compared to people who sat the least have greater risks of disease and death.  Specifically:

• 112% increased risk of diabetes.
• 147% increased risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke.
• 90% increased risk of death from cardiovascular events.
• 49% increased risk of death from any cause.

What does moving more do for our bodies?

• Using our muscles by moving and standing upright helps our bodies digest the fats and sugars we eat.
• Our bodies work better when they are upright, especially the heart and cardiovascular system.
• When we engage in physical activity, our energy levels and endurance improve and our bones stay strong.

What can we do?

Studies show that we need to spend 60-75 minutes a day in moderate activity to counteract the dangers of excessive sitting.  People who consistently take a movement break every 30 minutes of sitting have lower mortality rates.

This balance ball is an ergonomic design for home and office desks.  It was created by health and fitness experts to improve overall well-being and flexibility.  It promotes proper alignment.  The micro movements while sitting on the ball work to engage the body and mind. It is designed for users 5’ to 5’11”.  If you need a taller chair add Gaiam leg extenders that are sold separately. $69.98.Move while you sit.  Get motion seating like an Aeris Swopper chair. It provides motion in three directions – forward, vertically and sideways.  You can rock, bounce and perch, all of which strengthen the back, keeps you more upright and improves focus. The seat height is adjustable and comes in three metal colors and four seat cover colors.  $799.00.

Place items like your printer, file cabinet, office refrigerator around your office so you need to get up to get to them.

Raise your work surface to a height that allows you to stand when you work.  Standing for three hours every day can burn up a significant number of calories.

Take the stairs instead of an elevator whenever possible.

Do some form of physical activity every day to include stretching, yoga, and flexibility training.

When at home watching TV, use the commercials as a cue to get up and walk around.

Think about a desk treadmill, or an under-the-desk treadmill.

Walk around when you are on your cell phone.

Watch your posture – shoulders back, chin tucked, and stomach pulled toward your spine.  This will keep your muscles working, bones aligned and circulation flowing.

Drink more water – filling your water bottle will get you moving as will increased visits to the bathroom.