Is Sitting The New Smoking”

Over the past few years, that’s the new thing in fitness. Our society (Americans) have become very sedentary. The CDC recommends adults 18 to 64 exercise moderately for two-and-a-half hours per week. In action the average American only does 17 minutes of activities/day.WHOA!!!  On average Americans sit for 13 hours/day. According to James Levine, an endocrinologist and researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.  The human body is designed to move and You need to move your body. If you stop your body, idle it—which sitting is—it crumbles on every level.”

Some call sitting a disease, linking inactivity to cancer and other diseases. So do you have sitting disease’

Sitting Disease is another term for a sedentary lifestyle. If you:

• Sit in your car while you drive or take the train to work
• Sit at a desk all day while you work
• Sit on the couch when you come home from work

You probably have sitting disease.

And here’s the most shocking news…

…exercising for twenty to thirty minutes a day isn’t enough.

Sure, exercising helps burn calories. However, scientists are finding out that a sedentary lifestyle is one of the primary causes for:

• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Heart disease

So What Can You Do to Live Longer, Healthier and prevent Sitting Disease’

Your body was designed to move. Movement triggers many beneficial functions in your body including hormone release, balanced metabolism, better brain function and even better sleep.

The good news is that you don’t have to engage in intense physical activity. In fact, continuous moderate activity is preferred. Simply walking places instead of driving each day helps.

Take breaks from your desk and walk. When you talk on the phone, stand instead of sitting. If you can walk on a treadmill at home while you watch television – great!

[Tweet “If you can get a standing desk at your work go for it. You can lose up to 11 pounds/year by standing at least 2 hours/day. “]

A simple and easy tool to Avoid Sitting Disease

One great way to make sure you are avoiding sitting disease is to get an activity tracker. It can be as simple as pedometer or as sophisticated as Nike Fuel band, Fitbit or Jawbone Up.

The 10,000 step a day is a great way to start.