Over the past several weeks I’ve being working on an
article that goes much more in-depth than the single page I usually send
out. And, since that work is focused on movement health (using movement
to get and stay healthy), I've gone through a lot of research on the value and
benefits of keeping our bodies in motion. It’s hard to explore this
topic, however, without noticing the large amount of data on the negative effects
sitting.
I’m not just talking about calorie burn,
either. Although it’s clear that lack of physical activity, or any
movement for that matter, is taking its toll on society’s state of physical
& mental health, a lack of energy expenditure is only partly to blame. A
lack of movement, or more to the point, an abundance of sitting, is inflicting
even greater damage on our minds & bodies.
Now, before you quit reading because you think the amount of exercise or activity you get magically cancels out the sitting time, hold on. Reports of the negative impact of sitting have been coming out for a couple decades but have really started building up in the last few years. Study after study and article after article demonstrates or discusses the significant hazards of prolonged sitting and a 2011 report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology makes it very clear that “recreational sitting, as reflected by television/screen viewing time, is related to raised mortality and CVD [cardiovascular disease] risk regardless of physical activity participation.”
Did you catch that last bit...“regardless of physical activity participation.” Researchers consistently find, not only, that race, age, sex, tobacco history, etc., don’t effect the findings but that even your level of moderate to intense physical activity won’t overcome too much time spent at a desk or on a couch (studies vary but greater than 6-7 hrs/day of sitting seems to be the start of the danger zone). The science clearly shows that various hormonal & neural systems in the body slow and even shut down when we’re not up and moving; brain and mood enhancing chemicals drop significantly, risk of cardiovascular disease increases and insulin response decreases. If sitting dominates your lifestyle, you’ll have a greater chance for disability needs and become more susceptible to various cancers, muscle degeneration, mental health illness, leg disorders and low back pain. The effects are so drastic that sitting has been directly connected to “raised mortality”, i.e. increased chance of dying earlier than if you didn’t sit so much.
Now, if you feel actual pain from moving then see a doctor but if it’s just discomfort or stiffness move your body anyway, as long as there’s no contraindication. I’ve seen, over and over, the limitations people put on themselves because of the “difficulty” of trying to stand or simply walk a few steps. But remember this very important fact about the human body; it is designed to be in motion (except for sleep but that’s a different discussion) and the less you use it the more it will stiffen. Do NOT mistake this stiffness for a reason to “rest”! It is representative of all the above effects of too much sitting and will not disappear on its own...so MOVE!
Now, before you quit reading because you think the amount of exercise or activity you get magically cancels out the sitting time, hold on. Reports of the negative impact of sitting have been coming out for a couple decades but have really started building up in the last few years. Study after study and article after article demonstrates or discusses the significant hazards of prolonged sitting and a 2011 report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology makes it very clear that “recreational sitting, as reflected by television/screen viewing time, is related to raised mortality and CVD [cardiovascular disease] risk regardless of physical activity participation.”
Did you catch that last bit...“regardless of physical activity participation.” Researchers consistently find, not only, that race, age, sex, tobacco history, etc., don’t effect the findings but that even your level of moderate to intense physical activity won’t overcome too much time spent at a desk or on a couch (studies vary but greater than 6-7 hrs/day of sitting seems to be the start of the danger zone). The science clearly shows that various hormonal & neural systems in the body slow and even shut down when we’re not up and moving; brain and mood enhancing chemicals drop significantly, risk of cardiovascular disease increases and insulin response decreases. If sitting dominates your lifestyle, you’ll have a greater chance for disability needs and become more susceptible to various cancers, muscle degeneration, mental health illness, leg disorders and low back pain. The effects are so drastic that sitting has been directly connected to “raised mortality”, i.e. increased chance of dying earlier than if you didn’t sit so much.
Now, if you feel actual pain from moving then see a doctor but if it’s just discomfort or stiffness move your body anyway, as long as there’s no contraindication. I’ve seen, over and over, the limitations people put on themselves because of the “difficulty” of trying to stand or simply walk a few steps. But remember this very important fact about the human body; it is designed to be in motion (except for sleep but that’s a different discussion) and the less you use it the more it will stiffen. Do NOT mistake this stiffness for a reason to “rest”! It is representative of all the above effects of too much sitting and will not disappear on its own...so MOVE!
Again, this article is not about the need for increased “exercise”. In fact, just standing up releases your body’s systems from the confinement of a chair or couch and allows them to get working. A small study published in August ’14 from Indiana University suggests that “light activity breaks” might reverse the cardiovascular risk. A five-minute walk around the office is an easy option and sitting on a balance ball instead of a regular chair is a great move in the right direction. Any non-sitting posture helps improves your chances of staying healthier longer.
So pace the space while talking on the phone, regularly adjust your position in the car and basically just lose the lap whenever possible. You’ll help your body and mind fight the “sitting disease” and allow them to reap the benefits of MOVING SMARTER and LIVING STRONGER.
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