Research is finding that sitting for hours at a time may be so detrimental to your health that a little exercise doesn’t offset the negative effects. As if you needed one more thing to worry about at work, right?
The Washington Post recently reported “The message is clear: Sitting for hours at a time might be a health risk regardless of what you do with the rest of your day.” (“Desk jobs can be killers, literally” – July 17, 2013). The Post cited a 2010 study from the American Journal of Epidemiology (Leisure Time Spent Sitting in Relation to Total Mortality in a Prospective Cohort of US Adults), which linked physical inactivity and cardiovascular disease mortality, even after controlling for smoking, BMI, and other factors.
“Up until very recently, if you exercised for 60 minutes or more a day, you were considered physically active, case closed,” Travis Saunders, a PhD student and certified exercise physiologist told Runner’s World (“Sitting is the new smoking-even for runners” – July 20, 2013). “Now a consistent body of emerging research suggests it is entirely possible to meet current physical activity guidelines while still being incredibly sedentary, and that sitting increases your risk of death and disease, even if you are getting plenty of physical activity.”
Those over age 60 who sit to much also have a higher risk of disability for daily activities like bathing, dressing, and walking, according to a USA Today article (“Don’t just sit there! It could be harmful later in life” – February 19, 2014).
So what to do? Take a self-assessment. If you are sitting too much, consider making some reasonable changes in your life. Perhaps you can stand more often while at work, or walk or bike to run a few hours instead of take the car, or pick up a new hobby or game so evening family time isn’t always TV time.
If an injury or chronic pain is impacting your ability to be more active, get help. Absolute Wellness Center in Eugene, OR offers chiropractic medicine, sports medicine, physical rehabilitation, acupuncture, and massage. To learn more about safe and effective treatment options for your pain or injury, including that caused by workplace injuries and workplace ergonomics, please give us a call at 541-484-5777. Don’t give up on the idea that you can have the active, fun life that you want.
Source: The American Physical Therapy Association