Sitting has been called “the new smoking.”
It turns out that even if we exercise regularly, eat healthy, and even
appear to be fit, we’re still slowly killing ourselves one sedentary
hour at our desks or couches at a time.
“The hour you spend at the gym is not going to offset the damage to
your body caused by sitting six to eight hours every day,” says Dr.
Jennifer Haythe, assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University
and co-director of the Center for Women’s Cardiovascular Health.
An inactive life stuck behind a keyboard — or your TV — all day means
little to no variability in heart rate and blood pressure, and that
leads to cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. It is also
shown to have a hand in a person’s risk of Type 2 diabetes and certain
cancers, including colorectal tumors.
“It affects every system of the body,” Haythe tells the Daily News.
“It’s important to remember that it’s not necessarily the act of sitting
that’s killing us, it’s the lack of movement. People don’t realize how
much they’re sitting and not working their hearts — you need to move
around to make your blood flow to your brain, organs and bones.”
So, the way to avoid these risks is not as simple as just standing up.
Dr. Haythe recommends walking (grab a coffee, refill your water) once an
hour, take the stairs instead of the elevator, skip the cab ride and
use your God-given legs — just make yourself move.
There are apps like “Stand Up! The Work Break Timer” that will alert
you when it’s time to take a quick stroll. Or you can set reminders on
your phone for a few breaks a day.
Standing desks help but aren’t as great as those that get you moving, like treadmill desks, which are pricey.
No comments:
Post a Comment