The Deadly Act of Sitting

Years ago, I remember being so surprised hearing Dr. Schulze say that if he had to choose between a healthy diet and exercise, that he would choose exercise.

Of course this wasn’t to downplay the importance of a healthy diet, but rather, it was to show how absolutely CRUCIAL it was to get up and move, move and move some more, EVERY day! ALL disease starts from being stagnant/congested in some way or form. And the easiest prevention is to be MOVING!

Then, Dr. Mercola STUNNED us at the TTAC symposium by showing us some alarming statistics that show sitting is more harmful to our health than smoking!

Ready for your mind to be blown?!

For every hour you sit down, your life expectancy decreases by two hours. For comparison, every cigarette smoked reduces life expectancy by 11 minutes!

Sitting also increases death by 40%! If you sit more than 6 hours a day, you’re 40% more likely to die than someone who sits less than 3 (yes, even if you work out!).

Your body is designed for regular movement, but many Americans spend the bulk of their day sitting still instead. On average, a US adult spends nine to ten hours each day sitting, which is so much inactivity that even a 30 or 60 minute workout can't counteract its effects!

Sitting for too long can cause:

Organ damage (especially to the heart and pancreas). People with sitting jobs have twice the rate of cardiovascular disease and an increase in diabetes!

Increase in colon, lung and uterine cancer

Brain damage

Posture problems

Back problems

Muscle degeneration

Leg disorders

Weak bones

As soon as you sit:

Electrical activity in the legs shuts down

Calorie burning drops to 1 per minute

Enzymes that break down fat drop 90%

After 2 hours, good cholesterol drops by 20%

After 24 hours, insulin effectiveness drops 24% and diabetes risks rise!

Remember my French Women post?https://www.rikkijames.com/blog/holiday-weight-gain-prevention-tips

This is a HUGE part of why they’re so much healthier as a nation. They walk/ride their bikes EVERY day!

So now that you guys KNOW sitting can KILL-- what are some tips and things we can incorporate in your daily routine to get you moving again?!

If you have a desk job, set timers on your phone to get you up and moving every 30 minutes or so! You could also get a Fitbit or smart watch that will buzz and tell you if you've been sitting too long!

Invest in a standing desk, or yoga ball to sit on for part of the day! (Or both!)

Start your day with a walk, walk during lunch break, or spend a good hour walking after dinner with your family.

Take every opportunity to get up and MOVE! Dance with your kiddos, walk upstairs and deliver that report instead of email it, park far away at the grocery store, do standing leg lifts, or stack sitting (seen in the video posted below!)

Change up how you sit if you're watching tv by sitting cross legged in the floor or squat sitting.

I LOVE reaching my daily steps ! I love having a daily goal to shoot for, and love competing with friends and family!

What are some tips you guys have to GET UP AND GET MOVING?!

(FYI- this is different than a daily workout! If you notice the study showed one workout daily is not enough to counter the effects of prolonged sitting!)