There have been numerous studies in the last several years that have uncovered the detrimental effects of sitting. So much so, that some health scholars are turning to the phrase, “Sitting is the new smoking.”
In a technology driven world, majority of our work is completed while sitting. Chances are, you probably have a job that requires you to be in front of a computer most of the day. What is so dangerous about sitting?
First, research is discovering that too much sitting is impairing the bodies ability to deposit fat from the blood stream. This may not sound like such a bad thing, but trust me, your heart is not thrilled about this! More fat in the blood stream creates a HUGE risk for cardiovascular disease.
Second, scientist are finding that HDL cholesterol (the good stuff) is impaired while sitting. Meaning if you are sitting majority of the day, this scavenger cholesterol isn’t able to do its job of cleaning out the plaque in your arteries as well as it should. And we all know what a blocked artery leads to.
Third, prolonged sitting reduces the blood muscle pump function. Reduction in this may lead to clotting, and also decreases insulin sensitivity. Decreased insulin sensitivity increases your risk for type 2 diabetes.
These are all very dangerous side effects from prolonged sitting and they are continually investigating other issues. So how can you combat them in your day to day? By adding simple changes. Try to pick 3 things from the list below and add them into your work day. Save this list to come back to so you can keep building up your daily activity!
