Leave it to modern science to tell us exactly what we’ve always suspected, but don’t really want to know for certain. A recent scientific study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology warns those of us who sit most of the day that we are putting our very lives in jeopardy.
A recent scientific study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology warns those of us who sit most of the day that we are putting our very lives in jeopardy. It turns out that it’s actually healthier to be pounding the pavement than sitting at your desk and fretting about having too much work and too little time. While some prior studies showed a correlation between obesity and diseases like type II diabetes, few researchers have looked at the ill effects of the butt-in-chair, hands-on-the-keyboard, socially-networked-24/7 lifestyle that ubiquitous broadband internet has made possible. The not-so-startling conclusion is that the longer we sit, the sooner the Grim Reaper will likely visit. So how can we reduce the time spent sitting and still get our blogging done?
Sitting is More Risky for Women Than Men
According to the study, women who spent more than 6 hours per day of sitting were 37 percent more likely to pass away than women who sat fewer than 3 hours per day. Men who sat more than 6 hours per day were 18 percent more likely to expire than men who sat fewer than 3 hours per day. Sitting the least and being physically active were associated with a lower risk of mortality; but sitting more than 6 hours still increased the risk of death, even for people who reported being physically-active. But the new study doesn’t tell us exactly why sitting is so bad for us.
Why is Sitting so Unhealthy?
The sitting as health threat riddle appears to have two likely causes. Scientist Alpa Patel, who led the 13-year study, said that extended periods of sitting may negatively influence the blood chemistry in ways not yet fully understood. First, because it requires so little muscle activity, sitting may increase certain risk factors, including triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, glucose levels, and blood pressure, which are associated with obesity and heart disease. All those hours sweating at the gym are seemingly negated by all those hours spent sweating over the keyboard. Second, sitting just doesn’t burn many calories at all, and all those extra calories add up. Michelle Obama may be on to something in urging us to “get moving.” Even fidgeting nervously in your chair or re-arranging the piles of paper on your desk does more for your calorie-burning than sneaking a subtle peek at the clock or daydreaming about your next vacation. Don’t Just Sit There I’ll admit it: I absolutely hate to stand and wait in lines. But compared to the minimal muscular effort required to sit, standing in one place is downright grueling. To stand up, you have to tense the large muscles in your legs and buttocks, and activate the big muscles in your back and shoulders. If you’re like me, while standing, you probably frequently shift your weight from one leg to the other. All of that muscle activity burns more calories.
Small decisions have big calorie impact
Standing rather than sitting each day may help your body consume around 12 to 30 more calories per hour, depending upon on your weight. Reducing 30 calories per day may seem trivial, but 30 fewer calories per day means 3.1 pounds lost over the course of a year. For many of us, weight gain is a gradual process, a matter of a pound or two per year. You can gain 3 pounds in a year if, each day, you consume just 30 calories more than you burn. As little as one hour standing on your feet and one less hour sitting can actually spell the difference between remaining at your current weight or getting fatter. I hear you saying that you no way to control the amount of time you sit during the day. But think about it. Even if you exercise for 1 hour each day, the 8 hours you spend working and the several hours of leisure time each day can have a big impact on weight gain or loss. You can make healthier decisions throughout the day. Will you take the stairs or ride the elevator? As little as 5 minutes of stair-climbing burns 144 calories. Do you rely on email rather than getting up and having a conversation with your co-worker? Walking, even at an easy 3 mph pace, burns 280 calories per hour. When you get lunch, do you always have it delivered, or could you easily walk to get it? Just by taking short breaks (standing up occasionally to stretch or walking down the hall) you be on your way to a slimmer waist. To learn more about exercises that can be done anywhere, anytime, read about these exercises you can do anytime, anywhere. But whatever path you choose, by standing and walking more, and sitting less, you’ll be healthier in the long run.