Why Sitting May Be Ruining Your Life

There's been a bunch of articles floating around about how we're all doomed to die of obesity and arthritic related illnesses because of one facet of our modern lifestyles: the fact that we sit in a chair most of the day.

Research has shown that even if you exercise regularly, the fact that you're hunched over like a grasshopper in front of your desk for hours on end means you will have a higher risk of mortality in general than those who move throughout their day. Maybe this is why teachers live so long (or at least it seems that way!). Another study found that sitting for more than 6 hours a day shuts off the enzyme that digests fats (lipase) - completely independent of diet or exercise. To drive the point home, people who sit for most of the day are 54% more likely to die from heart attacks. Seriously.

So what are we supposed to do? Throw caution to the wind and buy a standing desk? Yeah, I didn't think so either. What you can do is:

1. Take Back Your Lunch. More and more people are working through their lunch, or grabbing a bite in between meetings (mainly due to workloads and the feeling that you need to put in 150% or you'll see a pinkslip on your desk). This is bad. A 2010 research study found that taking a break during your lunch is correlated with decreased emotional, mental, and physical stress and strain. 
2. Take Booster Breaks.  Take short breaks in-between projects or after a meeting in order to re-energize and re-center yourself. Set a 5 minute reminder on your outlook calendar every hour (or few hours) and do some stretches or light exercises at your desk (examples of exercises here and here).
3. Live Ergonomically. Part of your back, wrist, or neck pain may be due to a cramped workstation. OSHA has a lot of information on their website on proper body positing and how you can set up a ergonomic workstation.  

What do you think about this whole "sitting is killing you" trend? What changes can you make to decrease the amount of time you spend on your keister? 

Be.Well.Now