Extended Sitting is a Killer

Extended sitting is really bad for your health. I’m not only talking about the sitting we do in front of the TV but the combined sitting we do while dining, reading newspapers, magazines and books, plus all the time we spend in front of our computers.

The Mayo Clinic tells us, “The solution seems to be less sitting and more moving overall. You might start by simply standing rather than sitting whenever you have the chance or think about ways to walk while you work.”

Make no mistake; extended sitting is a killer for seniors. If more than half of your average day is spent sitting, you are increasing your chances for disease and death by 50%.  Researchers looked at 47 studies examining the relationship between sitting and mortality, according to the findings, published Jan. 20 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. They found that people who sit for long periods were 24 percent more likely to die from health problems during the studies, which lasted between 1 and 16 years, compared with people who sat less.

Sitting and exercise are two different components driving health. Even if you are active like Dr. Patsi and me during your on-the-go hours, you need to consider the following suggestions for your inactive hours:

• Stand while talking on the phone (this may actually shorten some of your extended conversations).
• If you work at a desk for long periods of time, try a standing desk — or improvise with a high table, stacked books or a high counter.
• Set a timer to remind you to get up and stretch and walk around the room every 30 minutes.
• If you’re watching TV, consider a commercial your signal to get out of your chair during the entire commercial segment (this could be 3 to 4 minutes).

I don’t want to demonize the act of sitting. Sitting while you are socially engaged is good for you. Likewise, sitting for a few minutes to decompress after a stressful day helps to release stress. What I’m concerned with is the acts of extended sitting without intermittent breaks. Those are the killers for us all.

For those of you who are not currently exercising, once you sit less you might be more open to the idea of moving and to being more active.