Skip to main content

Don't Just Sit There!

We all know that getting more exercise is good for us, but that may not be enough. While moving more is good, being sedentary less often is also important. Some health experts are even calling sitting the new smoking. So, if you went to the gym this morning, don't use that as an excuse to sit around the rest of the day.

What's wrong with sitting?
New evidence suggests that too much sitting, such as working at a desk, watching television and  other low energy activities, is a risk factor by itself for poor health. While the research is still in the early phases and the exact reasons why sitting isn't good for us aren't fully known yet, there is almost no downside to moving more. So for now, even if the only benefit you get from sitting less is feeling less stiffness at the end of the day, it is worth giving it a try.

How much do we need to move?
Most health benefits occur with at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking. Spending even more time being active can offer additional benefits. While 150 minutes may sound like a long time, you don’t have to do it all at once. Breaking it up over five days, you are only looking at 30 minutes per day. If that seems like too much at one time, you can break that down into smaller 10 minute time blocks.

Tricks to sitting less
Standing desks or workstations have become popular and are even available in adjustable versions that allow you to do some of your work seated and then pop the desk up for some standing time. Instead of sitting around a conference table, consider standing or walking meetings. They can get your whole team moving and may even spark some creativity. If you need to be reminded to get up and move, there are apps and activity trackers that will alert you when you have been still for too long. Or, you can keep it simple and set daily alarms to remind you to get up and move a little. Whichever option you choose, remember that a check in with your healthcare provider is always a good first step.

REFERENCES:
1. Dunstan DW, Howard B, Healy GN, Owen N. Too much sitting--a health hazard. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2012 Sep;97(3):368-76.
2. van der Ploeg HP, Chey T, Korda RJ, Banks E, Bauman A. Sitting time and all-cause mortality risk in 222 497 Australian adults. Arch Intern Med. 2012 Mar 26;172(6):494-500.

3. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 2008. Available at http://www.health.gov/PAGuidelines/.
Written by Jennifer M. Ignacio, MS, RD.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fish For Your Heart?

Cutting back on red meat is a common recommendation for both health and sustainability. What’s less clear is what we should replace the meat with. A recent study looked at this and the results may surprise you. If not red meat, what? Red meat appears on many lists of foods to eat less of due mostly to its saturated fat and cholesterol content, and the fact that we tend to eat too much of it. A recent study looked at what we should consider substituting for red meat when we follow the advice to cut back. Of all of the substitutions the study looked at, one stood out as the best choice – fish high in omega-3s. The fatty fish showed more benefits for heart health than poultry, unprocessed meat and even lean fish. Is fish safe to eat? Fish, especially the kind that gives us omega-3s, has long been considered a healthy choice. Warnings related to contamination by mercury and other toxins has left many people wondering if fish is safe to eat. For most people, the benefits of eating fish far ...

National Nutrition Month 2017: Plant Power

If you follow food trends, you’ve surely noticed that plant-based foods, recipes and restaurants have been getting a larger share of the spotlight lately. Does this mean that more of us are becoming vegetarians? Should we be? Why more plants? Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, nuts and seeds are key features of some of the healthiest diets in the world. Plant based foods are a common theme in the Mediterranean Diet, the DASH Diet and most dietary guidelines. The balance of health promoting nutrients with moderate calories and less of the stuff we should be limiting make plant based foods an easy fit for most people. Looking beyond personal health, to the health of our planet, plant based foods tend to more sustainable and less taxing on the environment. What is a flexitarian? Or a pescatarian? With the expansion of plant foods on our plates has come an expansion of how we refer to the way we eat. Vegetarian still refers to people who don’t eat meat, fish or poultry, but the...

Eat Right Live Well - December 2014