Are you in a bad situation?
many americans sit for 8 to 10 hours a day – Harmful to your back, hips, waistline and heart. Sitting for long periods of time can lead to obesity, muscle weakness, stress on the spine, poor regulation of blood sugar levels, and reduced blood circulation throughout the body.
“Sitting actually ages you faster,” Katie Bowman, a biomechanist and author of My Perfect Movement Plan, told The News. thursday new york times.
American Heart Association warns Too much sitting time means an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and early death.
and research from the University of California, San Diego. Published in February Researchers found that older women who sat for more than 11 hours a day had a 57% higher risk of premature death than women who sat for less than 9.5 hours a day.
of Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans It states that adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and muscle strengthening two days a week.
However, as the University of Houston Muscle Physiology Professor Mark Hamilton pointed out last year that “30 minutes of exercise a day does not provide immunity from the other 23.5 hours of activity.”
“Our bodies are designed to move throughout the day,” Hamilton continued. “They’re not designed to sit still and do nothing at the same metabolic rate as someone in a coma.”
Experts shared with the Times four ways to break out of a sedentary slump, even if it means working at a computer all day.
Be more active
Dr. Jeffrey Whitfield, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Times that sedentary people should exercise more, perhaps even for an hour a day.
Walking does wonders for your body. Low-impact exercise burns calories, reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, strengthens your heart and leg muscles, improves bone density, lifts your mood, and reduces stress. and improve sleep.
If you’re looking for more of a challenge, try walking on higher ground or uphill, moving to the beat of a fast-paced song, incorporating short periods of speed walking or jogging, or wearing a weighted vest.
make time to move
Set a timer to make sure you’re moving around the office, even if it’s something as small as marching in place.
Park as far away as possible, get water from the furthest fountain, or take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Alternatively, you can invest in a tabletop treadmill.
Consider a standing desk
Standing desks allow for more movement and can use more energy, but buyer beware.
A new study conducted in Australia has found that in the long term, standing does not improve cardiovascular health compared to sitting and may actually increase the risk of venous problems and blood clots. It turns out that there is.
I’m fidgety
Even while sitting, you can tap your toes, flex your legs, roll your ankles, straighten your legs, and do upper body stretches.
“Read your email while stretching your arms over your head or twisting your shoulders from side to side,” Bowman advised.
Other experts interviewed by the Times said they should change their body position every 15 to 30 minutes, adjusting the position of their legs, pelvis, and spine, and alternating between 30 minutes of standing work and 30 minutes of sitting work. recommended that you do so.
