Basically, those who sit for longer periods of time aren’t getting the consistent and continual physical activity needed to maintain a healthy body.
Things to consider:
People with jobs that require sitting tend to have twice the rate of cardiovascular disease than people who mostly stand on the job.
After two hours of sitting, good cholesterol drops 20 percent.
A study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise showed that men who spent more than 23 hours a week watching TV and sitting in their cars (as passengers or as drivers) had a 64 percent greater chance of dying from heart disease than those who sat for 11 hours a week or less.
As soon as you sit down, electrical activity in the leg muscles shuts off and calorie burning drops to 1 per minute.
If you have a desk job or spend a lot of time at the computer, proper chair height, distance from your desk, arm and wrist rests and degree of bend of the arms and legs are important. Sitting with the feet/lower legs under your chair for example, amounts to a contraction of the back of the thigh (hamstrings). Repeated shortening of these muscles results in greater tightness and lack of flexibility, which in turn can create problems with the low back. The muscles that are responsible for lifting the legs, as with walking or climbing stairs are called hip flexors. With excessive sitting, these muscles react in the same way as the hamstrings, shorter and tighter. Postural changes can occur over time related to leaning forward, slouching and rounding the back, crossing the legs, etc., taking its toll on the hips, spine, and shoulders.
Even if you have a desk job, there are things you can do to help avoid problems related to too much sitting. Suggestions include:
• When the phone rings, instead of staying seated, make a habit of walking while having the conversation.
• If your building has stairs, take them instead of using the elevator whenever possible.
• Wear a pedometer throughout the day. This can be a real eye-opener as to how inactive you may be. Aim for the recommended 10,000 steps per day.
• Use work breaks to get up and move.
• Set a goal of standing up and stretching once per hour. Regular stretching relieves stress and can help alleviate tightness that might otherwise get the best of you.
Marjie Gilliam is an International Sports Sciences Master certified personal trainer and fitness consultant. She owns Custom Fitness Personal Training Services, LLC. Write to her in care of the Dayton Daily News, call her at (937) 878-9018 or send e-mail to marjie@ohtrainer.com. Her website is at www.ohtrainer.com.
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