Sitting is killing you. Numerous studies have pointed to the health risks of sitting all day, but here you have info on how prolonged sitting affects our bodies and reminders to interrupt sitting time whenever possible.
The human body simply isn’t built to sit all day at a desk or for hours vegging out on the couch. Many of us spend more time sitting than sleeping. To avoid the health risks, we need not just 30 minutes of daily exercise, but taking every opportunity to get up during the day.
We have to stand up for our right to stand up.
Here are the stats from Medical Billing & Coding:
- 1 in 3 Americans are obese
- Obese people sit for 2.5 more hours per day than thin people
- Sitting expends almost no energy
Between 1980 and 2000:
- Exercise rates stayed the same
- Sitting time increased 8%
- Obesity doubled
How does sitting “wreck” your body?
As soon as you sit:
- Electrical activity in the leg muscles shuts off
- Calorie burning drops to 1 per minute
- Enzymes that help break down fat drop 90%
After 2 hours of sitting, good cholesterol drops 20%.
After 24 hours of sitting, insulin effectiveness drops 24% and risk of diabetes rises.
People with “sitting jobs” have twice the rate of cardiovascular disease as people with standing jobs.
Here are a few tips to counteract these negative effects of sitting.
For many of us, sitting for 8 hours a day at our job is inevitable. The recommended 30 minutes of activity per day is not enough, interrupt sitting whenever you can by stretching, walking or marching in place, or even doing jumping jacks. Walking burns 3.5 times the calories that sitting does. Take every opportunity to walk around the office. Sitting time adds up, whether it’s at the desk or in the car. Walk, ride your bike, and take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Did you know that sitting at 135° puts less strain on your back than hunching forward or even sitting straight.
Get off the Couch!
Those who sit 3 hours or more per day watching TV are 64% more likely to die from heart disease. Of those who sit in front of the TV 3 hours per day, those who exercise are just as far as those who don’t. Each extra hour of watching TV equals an 11% higher death risk.
With all that said, the human body simply isn’t built to sit for long periods of time. A hundred years ago, when we were all out toiling in the fields and factories, obesity was basically nonexistent. But since we can’t exactly run free in the fields til the end of our days, we have to help our bodies in other ways.
Here is a link to Forbes “10 Best Exercises to do at Your Desk”