Sitting Hurts Your Health

We have always been told that it is good to get up and stretch if you sit at a desk, fly in a plane, or drive in a car for prolonged periods.  However, recent statistics are adding up to suggest that sitting is very detrimental to an individual's personal health!

Being sedentary (sitting) has been linked to:

• 49% greater risk of dying early.
• 112% increase in type 2 diabetes risk.
• 147% increase in cardiovascular disease risk.

Sitting down:

• Drops your calorie consumption to 1 cal. per minute the moment you sit.
• Causes a 90% drop in enzyme activity that helps to break down fat.
• Shuts off electrical activity in the leg muscles.

The average American reports spending:

• 2.8 hours/day watching TV
• 9.3 hours/day sitting
• 7.7 hours/day sleeping

NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis) is one helpful solution to combating the negative effects of prolonged sitting.  "This is considered movement that you do throughout the day that isn't formal exercise."  In other words, get out of your chair as often as possible.

I personally recommend taking breaks every 15-30 minutes from sitting, take the stairs instead of the elevator, parking in the back of the parking lot at work and when shopping, staying active with chores when watching your favorite TV show, and walking down the hall to talk to a coworker instead of emailing them.

Sources:  2012 study at University of Leicester in England

             May 2009 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

             January 2011 Journal of the American College of Cardiology

             Medical Billing & Coding

             U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

             March 2014 Experience Life Magazine