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Sitting for long hours is harmful for health. Standing more often will help.

sitting womanDo you lead a sedentary lifestyle? Are you a couch potato and spend most of your time lazing cozily in your favorite armchair? If so, your risk factors of counteracting diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity are too high. The International Osteoporosis society reports that women who sit for more than 9 hours a day are 50% more likely to break a hip than those who sit less than 6 hours a day. Health concerns and occasional guilt pangs about your lifestyle might probably drive you to reserve a fixed period during the day for some kind of exercise. But is this enough to ward off the various risks involved with your inactive lifestyle?

New research shows that it is a misconception that actively exercising is the only way to make a healthy difference in an otherwise sedentary lifestyle. The researchers have found that physical inactivity throughout the day stimulated disease-promoting processes, and that exercising, even for an hour a day, was not sufficient to reverse the effect. What you do in your waking period during the day and when you are not actively exercising also counts. The solution that they recommend is that you should stand and move about frequently while doing your chores to maintain optimal metabolism throughout your waking period. They add that given the work of muscles necessary to hold the body’s weight upright, standing actually doubles the metabolic rate. So stand more, sit less and flex your muscles more often even while performing simple day-to-day tasks for good health. A fixed exercise-regimen alone cannot combat the ill-effects of prolonged sitting or an otherwise sedentary lifestyle.

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Comments

  1. SageRave2:28 AM

    This is great timing withthe holidays coming.

    I know that I tend to stay inside and type away at the computer without getting up and moving around unless the phone rings for a Tarot reading. Then I stand as I pull cards and advise the caller.

    It's important to look at the clock and set target times for getting up and out of the chair. This reminder will keep you aware of how long you have been sitting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aparna1:51 PM

    Hi Sagerave, Are you a tarot card reader?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown6:14 AM

    This article has been included in the latest edition of Mom's Blogging Carnival

    ReplyDelete
  4. CindyPTN7:58 AM

    With my husband around the past two weeks, I have spent way too much time working on the computer. This is a great article to motivate us to move around more. Thank you for contributing to Fitness for Moms Carnival.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Miriam12:20 PM

    Wonderful article featured in the October 10 Holistic Health Blog Carnival at http://healthyselfnaturally.blogspot.com/2010/10/october-10-holistic-health-blog.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kartik9:00 AM

    Depends on how your sitting .

    ReplyDelete
  7. Chandran9:01 AM

    Sitting in one position will make muscles that are already tight go into pain. When you walk the pain goes away for the pressure is changed on your spine. To keep that from happening again you have to free up your back muscles to get them out of that tight state and you should be pain free. Here's how to free them up for you:

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sulakshana9:01 AM

    Have some time to stand up. Even if you have the best ergonomic chair in the world, it's still fundamental that you can find time to stand up and get away from your chair. This way, you can stretch out and exercise for a bit.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous9:10 AM

    Make sure that your feet are on the floor.Your back should be attached to the chair's back.Shoulders should be straight.Proper sitting posture can go a long way toward achieving optimal health. You would be taking care of not only your back but also your spinal cord.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ayushman9:17 AM

    Place your left hand on your left leg next to your body. Place your right hand over your left shoulder, fingers over the back and the palm in the front and firmly pull down on them and hold. After 30 seconds slowly lower your body forward and to the outside of your left leg, keeping your left arm fairly straight as you do. When you reach your lap remain there for another 10 seconds, release the pressure but rest there for another 30 seconds. Then reverse your hand positions and do your right side.
    For best results relax your body first by taking a deep breath and exhaling then remain this relaxed.

    ReplyDelete

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