The human body is built for motion. It is clear in our construction that we were made for movement. We have 360 joints and 700 skeletal muscles, all working together in harmony to facilitate walking, running, jumping, and other forms of activity. Our blood requires movement to circulate, and our skin is elastic, providing easy mobility. Furthermore, our physiology allows us to stand up and defy the force of gravity that pulls us back toward earth. Even though humans have all the components needed for an active lifestyle, we are generally fairly sedentary creatures. A great number of jobs require us to spend most of our days sitting at desks and some of our favourite pastimes involve staring at a computer or a television screen. Recent studies show that sitting is actually quite dangerous to our health – so much so that many health professionals now consider sitting to be the new smoking.
The average person spends 9.3 hours per day sitting down. This is compared to an average of only 7.7 hours asleep. And while 9 hours of sitting initially sounds like a lot, when considered, it’s not hard to see how quickly the time adds up. Between driving to and from work, spending time at a desk or in another seated profession, and then relaxing and watching a TV program or socializing after work, the hours really start to accumulate!
What does sitting do?
Sitting slows our body’s metabolism and reduces the creation of the good kind of cholesterol. Additionally, after only one hour of sitting, the production of fat enzymes decreases by as much as 90%. Known as lipoprotein lipase, these enzymes are present in the walls of our blood capillaries and are charged with the role of breaking down fat molecules in our bloodstream. For some reason, sitting temporarily deactivates these enzymes and stops the fat burning process. Researchers have found that prolonged sitting (which is defined as 8 to 12 hours per day) can have a very serious impact on our health. Lack of physical activity in general is linked to heart disease and excessive sitting is even more closely tied to diabetes, stroke, and even cancer. Studies have shown that people who sit for more than 10 hours per day increase their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 90%. Additionally, sitting can increase the risk of breast and colon cancer by as much as 20%. An Australian study published in the medical journal Circulation tracked the habits and health of 9,000 people who each watched an additional hour of television per day. The results showed that each additional hour of sitting actually increased their risk of death by a shocking 11%. The idea that sitting is the new smoking is not unfounded, as obesity and obesity-related diseases are responsible for 35 million deaths per year in the United States. In comparison, tobacco products are only responsible for 3½ million deaths.
Unfortunately the problem of too much sitting is not simply cured by an hour of exercise per day. Toronto researchers analyzed the results of 47 studies of sedentary behaviour and published their findings in Annals of Medicine. Their conclusions took into account people who offset their daily sitting time by an hour of exercise. These individuals who were physically active but still had long periods of sitting as a part of their daily routine were 30% less likely to contract a serious illness or die but were still faced with a significant risk to their overall health. The Toronto researchers also found that the amount of sitting in one day was an independent factor from other common triggers that may cause disease or death. That means that even if sitting does not contribute to weight gain or obesity for certain individuals, those people are still at risk for the health consequences that result from prolonged sitting.
There are still some questions circulating about these findings. First, how much sitting is too much? There seems to be a general consensus in the research that sitting for any longer than eight hours is unhealthy. Second, what type of person is most at risk by prolonged sitting – a man or a woman, young people, or those who are older? There doesn’t seem to be enough information to come to a solid conclusion at this point.
Get moving!
Regardless of who may suffer the most from excessive sitting, it is something that we all should be aware of. Researchers suggest becoming more aware of the amount of time you spend sitting and then trying to reduce that by a few minutes each day. A good trick if you work at a desk is to set your phone timer for 30 minutes. Each time the timer goes off, stand up for at least three minutes. Take the opportunity to grab a drink of water or to talk to your coworkers face-to-face rather than sending so many e-mails. When you are sitting make the effort to maintain good posture. Our spines are not meant to be in a curved position all day long, and doing so causes our chest cavity and lungs to become constricted, making it hard to breathe. Less air means less oxygen to the blood and to the brain which can cause lack of focus and concentration. Sitting also squashes and compresses nerve signals, so if you notice that your legs are starting to feel swollen or numb, it’s definitely time to stand up! If you are at home watching television, try standing up for all the commercials. If you are playing a video game, make the effort to stand up after passing each level. Even standing up for as little as a few minutes will help to reboot your system and can reduce the serious risks that are associated with prolonged sitting.
