In recent studies, sitting too much has been tied to an increased risk of dying early. What? Yes, it bears repeating, recent studies have shown that sitting too much is linked with early death from at least 14 diseases. It may sound shocking, but the studies also revealed that sitting too much can even cause early death in those who exercise consistently.
The most recent study by the American Cancer Society offers that those who sit for six hours a day or more experience a 19 percent increase in early death as compared to those who sit for less than three hours daily. In addition, the researched concluded that sitting too much increases the risk of early death from heart disease, stroke, cancer, kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, digestive diseases, nervous disorders, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, musculoskeletal issues, and suicide.
The solution – get off the couch and move or get up from your desk and move! Moving more is the key to better health. You’ve heard it before, moving more in your day can improve your cholesterol levels, along with blood pressure and blood sugar. The less you sit, the healthier you’ll be. If your job requires you to sit for long hours, you should get up every hour to walk around and stretch. If you’re binge watching your favorite show or hosting a video game marathon, the same is true – get up and move!
The truth is, Americans spend too much time sitting – watching television, working on computers, playing on tablets and smartphones. As you get older, you sit even more. Another study revealed that 90 percent of time outside of work was sedentary. And of that 90 percent, half of it was used to watch TV or browsing at the computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Thought these studies weren’t able to fully determine why too much setting is unhealthy, there was a definite correlation between prolonged sitting and premature death. Researches believe it could be, in part, due to the fact that snacking goes with sitting, and too much of both is not healthy behavior. Studies have confirmed links between excessive sitting and increased blood pressure as well as high levels of insulin, blood sugar, and triglycerides. Sitting is also linked to obesity and inflammation, all of which indicate the link to death from heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, COPD, and cancer. Obviously more studies are needed, but there is a solution.
Get Up!
Stretching Every Hour – Get up from the sofa, recliner, or desk, and stretch, bend, turn, walk for 10 minutes every hour.
Move All Day Long – When you’re at work, it’s hard to remove yourself from the task at hand but getting up and moving at every opportunity is key. Take a walk at lunch time, use the stairs, park away from the building to get more steps, walk down the hall to ask your co-worker the question, stand up when you talk on the phone or speak with a co-worker. If you commute via mass transit to work, stand up during your commute or get off a stop early and walk the rest of the way to the office.
Order Your Office Space and Routine – Relocating a few items at the office can help you move more during the day. Schedule walk and talk meetings with co-workers. Move your trashcan out of reach. Take a walk during your afternoon break.
Multitask – When you’re at home, put your treadmill, elliptical, or other exercise equipment in front of the television and exercise while you watch. If you don’t have equipment, walk in place, or exercise.
It’s really easy to get up and move and sit less, after all your health depends on it!
