Don't Take Life Sitting Down

June 6, 2011

By Linda T. Gottlieb, MA, CPT, CET

We sit in the car, sit in meetings, sit and talk on the phone and in sit in front of the computer. We sit at home, at the dinner table, on the sofa and then, we retire to our lying down sleep position. If this isn't your exact routine, it's close enough to make sitting one thing nearly all Americans have in common.

We sit all the time.

What would you think if I told you that all this sitting might be shortening your life? Robbing you of vital, exciting and joyful years? Offering you an increased risk of heart disease, obesity, high cholesterol, cancer recurrence and diabetes?

Sitting Stats:

• Americans spend, on average 9.33 hours a day sitting. We only spend 7.7 hours sleeping. Sleeping refreshes and recharges us. Sitting just increases the size of your personal sitting surfaces (uh... your butt)
• People with sitting jobs have twice the rate of cardiovascular disease than people with standing jobs. You might want to stand and finishing reading this blog post.
• As soon as you sit, electrical impulses in your legs shut off. Ever wonder why they have you do those exercises on long airline flights?
• As soon as you sit, calorie burning drops to 1 calorie a minute. Fidgeters burn lots more calories toe tapping and pacing.
• Obese people sit 2.5 hours more a day than thin people.

For many of us, sitting for 8 hours a day at work is inevitable. It's the sitting we do outside of work that turns this dangerous sitting situation into a potentially deadly one.

How to Get Up and Out of Your Chair

Walk around every opportunity you can, every day. Since walking burns 3-5 times the calories sitting does, can you create reasons for getting out of your chair? Walk to the printer at another location at the office. Walk to a co-workers office instead of emailing or calling. Walk to the farthest rest room or cafeteria when visiting a friend in the hospital.

Remember coffee breaks? They seem to have gone the way of desk calculators and rotary dial phones. If you hold a leadership position at work, why not reinstitute these breaks, but call them "recess?" If you are one of the throngs of support staff, why not pose a suggestion for walk and talk breaks at lunch or a 2 minute stretch break every 2 hours of seated computer time?

Moving creates positive energy. Energy creates positive momentum. Momentum allows you to do your job better, to smile more and to create a healthier life for yourself and your family. Don't sit through life, bike, jog, run, or dance through it!

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