Don't just sit there: The dangers of a sedentary life style

Have you heard? Sitting is the new smoking. And it's generally true. We all sit most of the time. So we all think, It's fine! It's normal. It must be okay.  But in fact, sitting too long is bad for your health.  

American adults spend 11 to 12 hours a day sitting.  Sitting too much is not the same as getting too little exercise. Even if you get the recommended amount of exercise, prolonged sitting is still likely to be harmful. 

Research has connected prolonged sitting with the following negative health impacts, among others. 

• Increased risk of dementia -- risk increases with amount of sedentariness
• Metabolic syndrome
• ​Deep vein thrombosis
• It undoes the benefits of exercise
• Early death. There's even a name for it: Sedentary death syndrome.

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​Researchers and physicians are clear that any activity all is a great improvement over sitting, a study published in a top-rated journal found.  According to a scientist quoted in the above-linked article, "People who don't exercise can be healthier even if all they do is reduce the amount of time they sit," he said. "People who do exercise can be healthier by decreasing the time they spend sitting, too. What we are really talking about is a change in the fundamental way that we do things in society by reducing sedentary time. We've known an active lifestyle is better for a long time."

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE NOW: 
Research finds that really small reductions in sitting can greatly reduce the risk of disease linked to sitting.  Swapping out just 30 minutes of sitting for walking or doing light chores around the house can reduce risk of death by 17 percent. Swapping 30 minutes of sitting for more vigorous activity can reduce risk of death by any cause by 35 percent. 

• Try to balance out hours spent sitting with more active time. 
• Incorporate more vigorous physical activity (walking, biking, gardening, working out) throughout the week. The Mayo Clinic advises 60 to 76 minutes of moderately intense physical activity per day.
• Take a break from sitting every 30 minutes, for 3 or 4 minutes. Just change tasks. Please who sit for less than 30 minutes at a time have the lowest risk of early death.
• Build a new habit to integrate more activity - take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk a few blocks before you catch Muni or BART or your Lyft.
• Switch work or coffee-shop meetings to a walk-and-talk meeting.
• Substitute activities for coffee, bar, or restaurant get-togethers with friends.
• Can you eliminate some meetings or seated entertainment time altogether? Switch from movie night to game night?​
• Stand up when you talk on the phone or watch TV.