The Danger In Sitting Too Much
Sitting in front of your computer at work. Glued to the tv at home. Sitting in your car to and from work on that long commute. Yes, we Americans are spending alot of time sitting and that's not a good thing.
According to a recent USA Today article, about half of us spend more than six hours a day sitting down. If we cut that number in half and sat just three hours a day, the average American could add two years to their life. Researchers, like Endocrinologist James Levine at the Mayo Clinic call it the " sitting disease" and warn of the dangers in doing so. Too much sitting has been linked with an uptick in blood pressure problems, diabetes, cancer, heart attacks and even death. That's all pretty scary stuff. What simple things can you do to not sit so much? Dr. Levine recommends pacing when talking on the phone, using stairs instead of the elevator at work, take a quick walk on your lunch hour and pretty much stand vs sit whenever you can. He also suggests making sure you're standing for at least ten minutes each hour. Okay, I'm done typing. Now can I sit down?