On average - Americans sit 9 hours each day. Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns, including obesity and metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, insulin resistance, free radical damage, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels. Too much sitting also seems to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Even if you exercise, sitting more than 6 hours a day can put you on this track!
The impact of movement, even leisurely movement, can be profound. For starters, you'll burn more calories. This might lead to weight loss and increased energy. Even better, the muscle activity needed for standing and other movement seems to trigger important processes related to the breakdown of fats and sugars within the body. When you sit, these processes stall and your health risks increase. When you're standing or actively moving, you kick the processes back into action.
A few easy things that can be done throughout the work day to reduce sitting time include:
- Stand while talking on the phone or eating lunch.
- If you work at a desk for long periods of time, try a standing desk or improvise with a high table or counter.
- Walk laps with your colleagues rather than gathering in a conference room for meetings.
- Position your work surface above a treadmill with a computer screen and keyboard on a stand or a specialized treadmill-ready vertical desk so that you can be in motion throughout the day.
Be sure to have regular blood work and physical wellness exams done here at Monarch Health to identify your risk factors, and receive counseling on prevention as well as treatment for these conditions. Medical grade supplements are available now to help work with these lifestyle changes to address cardiovascular and metabolic health issues that include key ingredients such as: berberine, alpha lipoic acid, biotin, chromium, and cinnamon to name a few. Ask if some of these supplements are right for you and your healthcare regimen. Get ahead of the trend and be a good healthy role model; make standing the new sitting at your workplace!
