Balanced Life Family,
I’ve been researching the effects of prolonged sitting and I found some surprising information that caused me to make some changes in my daily routine. I’m sharing this information with you because you may want to make a few changes as well.
Sitting is a part of life, yes. But we’re sitting so much these days, and it’s catching up with us. Spending too much time sitting can have harmful side effects.
Prolonged sitting can lead to tight muscles and bad posture, which can lead to back pain. Too much time spent sitting, is also associate with DVT (deep vein thrombosis) and yes the obvious, weight gain.
I find that even though I work out regularly, I spend a considerable amount of time sitting down. Whether I’m at the table eating, working at my desk, reading, watching TV on the couch, driving in my car, or quietly meditating, you name it, I’m sitting and you probably are too.
A research study showed that those of us that exercise spend just as much time sitting down as inactive people do. A publication in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that prolonged sitting, regardless of exercise, is associated with an increased risk of mortality, heart disease, cancer, and Type 2 diabetes. WHAT??? Now that’s a rude awakening!
So is there any way to counteract the ill effects of prolonged sitting or are we just doomed? The good news is that there’s a way. No, we aren’t doomed.
Our bodies are designed to move, and even small amounts of light activity can be beneficial. Basically, the more we move the less risk sitting poses to our health. So I’ve decided to work more movement into my day. While at work I’m standing up about every half hour to stretch, touch my toes or walk around the office. It’s not necessary to do a full blown workout during your work day, but just get up and move around a bit. Even when I’m watching TV, I’ll get up and move around during a commercial or whenever I notice I’ve been sitting for at least a half an hour.
These are simple little changes that you and I can easily incorporate into our day to help prevent the negative effects of prolonged sitting and keep us on the road to good health. That’s something we should all be striving for. I’m hoping that this information was helpful to you and remember to keep movin!
A CHALLENGE: I’m challenging every reader of the Balanced Life Family to think back over blogs you have read and tell me which one has been most helpful to you. I’m looking for responses from each one of you. Please don’t let me down. If you have trouble recalling one, go to the website and refresh your memory. Can’t wait to hear from you!
New Readers: If you would like to have inspirational blogs sent to your email twice a month, please send your email address to me at getsomebalancenow@gmail.com I’d love to have you join our family of readers. Be sure to add this address to your email contacts to avoid it ending up in spam.
