A cure for “sitting disease”?
“Sitting disease” is a not-quite-medical phrase that captures a list of ailments worsened by sedentary habits. Prolonged sitting—an apt description of modern work and home lives for many people—harms us in many ways, according to recent research.
Extended sitting contributes to a worse ratio of good-to-bad cholesterol, slows the clearance of glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream, and reduces insulin sensitivity, all of which hike up your risks for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Waistlines widen, too, with implications reaching well beyond whether you can wriggle into your current wardrobe.
A 2012 study of more than 220,000 Australian adults ages 45 or older found that the risk of a premature death from all causes increased with the amount of time subjects spent seated throughout the course of the day. Mortality rose 15% among participants who sat eight to 11 hours per day, and 40% among people who sat 11-plus hours per day, compared with those who sat less than four hours per day.
Why does prolonged sitting have such negative health consequences? One explanation is that it relaxes your largest muscles. When muscles relax, they take up very little glucose from the blood, raising your risk of type 2 diabetes. In addition, the enzymes that break down blood fats (triglycerides) plummet, causing levels of the “good” cholesterol, HDL, to fall, too. The result? Higher risk of heart disease.
Given the research, breaking up long blocks of sitting to flex your muscles seems like a wise move for all of us Take your phone calls standing up. Use a standing desk. Hold treadmill meetings or walking meetings. Sit on a stability ball to work or watch TV. Cut back on TV in favor of more brisk strolls or bike rides. And, yes, do core exercises.
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