Do you know how many hours per day you spend sitting? If you’re among most North Americans you spend over 13 hours of your day seated. This includes watching television, driving your car, air travel, reading, checking email, or surfing the Internet. Given the large number of people who spend their days inactively, there is more research coming out surrounding the negative health consequences of a sedentary lifestyle.
Common, slow-forming side effects of sitting include low back pain, tight muscles, poor posture, inactive core muscles, headaches, joint pain and chronic fatigue.
According to the American company, Ergotron, a manufacturer of digital display mounting and mobility products reveals these shocking statistics: excessive daily sitting results in increased risk of cancer, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and even death. Other eye-opening statistics include:
- People who sit more than 11 hours per day have a 40 percent increased risk of death in the next three years, compared to people who sit for four hours or less.
- People who have held sedentary lifestyles for more than 10 years have twice the risk of colon cancer.
- The longer a person sits, the shorter the lifespan.
- Sitting for long periods may also affect the development of musculoskeletal disorders.
There are, however, easy actions you can take to reduce and manage the effects of a sedentary lifestyle:
10 ways you can combat the effects of sitting all day
- Click here to calculate your sitting time on the Sitting Calculator.
- Grab a colleague, friend or partner and get away from your desk or chair and walk for 10 minutes, preferably outside at lunch.
- Invest in a cost-effective Fit Bit or pedometer to monitor your number of steps per day.
- Wake up 30-minutes earlier for a brisk morning walk.
- Strength training early in the morning to boost your metabolism and energy for the day. This sets up your brain chemistry for maximum productivity and creativity.
- Sign up 30-day trial at a local yoga studio. Yoga is fantastic for body and mind.
- Invest in a foam roller to roll out tight muscles once per day. An excellent non-invasive, low-cost method for improving circulation, releasing tight muscles and re-adjusting joints.
- Sit on a stability ball, promotes greater use of core muscles.
- Stretch all major body parts once per day.
- Drink at 2-3 liters of filtered water per day to hydrate your body. Our muscles are at least 70 percent water.
Take these tips literally to heart and take action on a daily habits. It wont be long until your results and health begin to change.
- Unleash Your Fitness Potential German Body Composition Program - September 3, 2024
- Track It to Lose It: 6 Reasons Meal Logging Boosts Fat Loss - August 27, 2024
- Collagen Power: Unlocking the Secrets to Joint and Muscle Health - August 20, 2024