Americans are so sedentary!

image Source: Washington.edu

James Levine, MD is a leader in sitting research. he opines that “Growing evidence suggests that the health impact of sitting may overall be greater than that of smoking. This is because the human harm associated with excessive sitting is extensive. This includes obesity, metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer risk, and psychological harm.” He also says that “physiological and molecular data suggest that sedentary lifestyle can explain, in part, how modernity is associated with obesity, more than 30 chronic diseases and conditions and high healthcare costs.”

Look, a new disease. The Sitting Disease!

– Insufficient physical activity is one of the leading risk factors for death worldwide.
– Insufficient physical activity is a key risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes.
– Physical activity has significant health benefits and contributes to prevent NCDs.
– Globally, 1 in 4 adults is not active enough.
– More than 80% of the world’s adolescent population is insufficiently physically active.
– Policies to address insufficient physical activity are operational in 56% of WHO Member States.
– WHO Member States have agreed to reduce insufficient physical activity by 10% by 2025.

Here’s what we do!

Sleeping 8 hours
Work 8 hours
Commute 1 hour
Home computer 1.5 hour
Eating 2 hours
Watching tv 1-2 hours
Active 2-3 hours

We’ve got options, Let’s get our asses moving!

I take frequent movement breaks to parenthesize tasks, this keeps me very productive and IN GREAT SHAPE too!
Just above, I share one of my 5 minute desk workouts with you.
Try these ideas, let me know what you are doing to get moving!

1. Find more ways to incorporate activity in your day.
2. Set a timer, at the top of each hour, get up and move, take a call standing, do some exercises…
3. Take a call standing, have a meeting, while walking
4. Do 3-5 minutes of exercise at your desk, see video above!
5. Activate/flex the muscles of your quads, hamstrings and abs at your desk, or on your commute.
6. Walk to lunch,
7. Sit up straight
8. Rock your baby and do lunges
9. Instead of watching tv after dinner, go for a walk
10. Have a simple exercise routine that you can do on a call or webinar (they wont even know). Push ups, lunges, triceps extensions on your chair
11. Half time at a sport event or or Intermission of the school play is a great time to take a power walk for 5-10 minutes.

let me know what you are doing to get moving!