If you have a desk job of any kind, you’re most likely sitting down for hours. When you come home from work, you’re probably too tired to do anything else but surrender to your comfy couch and your favorite television programs. And don’t forget that long commute that has you sitting in your car for more than 30 minutes. Thank you rush hour.
It seems like society has been carefully crafted to keep our bottoms in our seats. Unfortunately, this is at the expense of our health. New research links sitting down for long periods of time with heart disease, and that’s just one of many chronic diseases linked to excessive sitting.
Other Diseases Caused By Prolonged Sitting
Excessive sitting has been associated with diabetes mellitus, (the most common form of diabetes,) high blood pressure, obesity, cancer and dementia. Studies continue to link new chronic illnesses to prolonged sitting, an activity we always hope to combat with a daily workout.
Sitting Marathons Increase Artery Calcification
When your body intakes calcium, most of it goes to your teeth and bones, while a small percentage dissolves in your blood. However, certain disorders can prevent that small percentage of calcium from dissolving in your blood. In these instances, calcium builds up and hardens in your body tissues, causing further health complications.
A Dallas study was conducted using the heart CT scans and physical activity records of over 2,000 adults, and researchers discovered something troubling: each hour spent sitting per day increased artery calcification by 14%. Consequently, artery calcification increases the risk of a heart attack.
Easy Activities to Combat Prolonged Sitting
Your metabolism changes after 20 minutes of sitting down. That’s one episode of your average sitcom! These changes include higher blood pressure, higher blood sugar levels, higher” bad” cholesterol, lower “good” cholesterol and lower mental alertness.
But a two minute walk every 20 minutes can significantly improve your metabolism.
In addition to that, Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic conducted his own study. He tracked the activity of overweight and thin people using multiple sensors in their underwear. He observed that the thin subjects were more prone to non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT).
NEAT includes activities like shaking your leg, twiddling your thumbs and fiddling with objects. Believe it or not, these tiny gestures, commonly observed as restless habits, can be extremely beneficial to your health.The key is to keep your body active, even when you’re sitting down.
Sitting down for too long may be worse than skipping a workout. It’s time to spend less quality time with our chairs and more time enjoying the fresh air. Get up and stretch or go for a quick walk after reading this; your body will thank you. After all, it’s the little things that count.
Sources:
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-17967/why-exercise-wont-counteract-the-effects-of-sitting-all-day.html
http://www.healthline.com/health/calcification#Overview1
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Nicole Penguin