Page 10 - Inspire Health March/April 2016
P. 10
feature
SITTING with issues like back pain, bad posture,
depression, low productivity and even
is the New Smoking breast cancer.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
T By Caitlin Watzke
he average American sits for 12 to Dr. Levine says the solution isn’t going
15 hours a day. That’s four to five to be a few tips or tricks — it’s going to
times longer than we should be require planning, individual responsibility
sitting, according to research showing and the creation of a culture of
that excessive sitting has negative movement both at home and work.
health effects, even for people who
exercise regularly. “The default needs to be up and
“This sitting that we all do is like a moving instead of sitting and slouching,”
common meeting point for quite a lot of he advises. “If you have been sitting for
chronic disease,” says Dr. James Levine, an hour, you have been sitting too long.”
director of Obesity Solutions at Mayo
Clinic and Arizona State University and Start by setting a timer for 50 minutes
author of the book “Get Up! Why Your or using the ring of the telephone as a
Chair is Killing You and What You Can reminder to stand up and move around.
Do About It.”
Dr. Levine points to a recent analysis Ask if your meetings can be held while
that links excessive sitting with 34 walking. Dr. Levine says walk‑and‑talk
chronic diseases, including diabetes, meetings are becoming more mainstream
high blood pressure and congestive as big companies create active
heart failure. Sitting is also associated opportunities for their employees. At
its 2013 annual meeting, the American
Medical Association adopted a policy that
encouraged employers to offer fitness
balls and standing workstations.
“This is coming to an office near you,”
Dr. Levine predicts.
So stand up and get moving!
“We need to create this culture. The
default needs to be up and moving
instead of sitting and slouching.”
— Dr. James Levine
“Get Up! Why Your Chair is Killing You and What You Can
Do About It” by James A. Levine, MD, St. Martin’s Gri n
(July 2014), $17.99
Sitting by the numbers
94% 2 500
calories
The likelihood of female years
participants dying over the the number of additional
course of a 13‑year study by The the time you could calories you could burn
American Cancer Society, when add to your life by per day with activities like
those women combined sitting sitting for less than walk‑and‑talk meetings, walking
more than six hours a day with during lunch and doing
less physical activity, compared 3 hours a day housework while standing
to those who were active and sat Source: Dr. Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Source: Dr. James Levine
less than three hours a day.
Source: American Cancer Society BMJ Open
10 INSPIRE HEALTH March · April 2016
SITTING with issues like back pain, bad posture,
depression, low productivity and even
is the New Smoking breast cancer.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
T By Caitlin Watzke
he average American sits for 12 to Dr. Levine says the solution isn’t going
15 hours a day. That’s four to five to be a few tips or tricks — it’s going to
times longer than we should be require planning, individual responsibility
sitting, according to research showing and the creation of a culture of
that excessive sitting has negative movement both at home and work.
health effects, even for people who
exercise regularly. “The default needs to be up and
“This sitting that we all do is like a moving instead of sitting and slouching,”
common meeting point for quite a lot of he advises. “If you have been sitting for
chronic disease,” says Dr. James Levine, an hour, you have been sitting too long.”
director of Obesity Solutions at Mayo
Clinic and Arizona State University and Start by setting a timer for 50 minutes
author of the book “Get Up! Why Your or using the ring of the telephone as a
Chair is Killing You and What You Can reminder to stand up and move around.
Do About It.”
Dr. Levine points to a recent analysis Ask if your meetings can be held while
that links excessive sitting with 34 walking. Dr. Levine says walk‑and‑talk
chronic diseases, including diabetes, meetings are becoming more mainstream
high blood pressure and congestive as big companies create active
heart failure. Sitting is also associated opportunities for their employees. At
its 2013 annual meeting, the American
Medical Association adopted a policy that
encouraged employers to offer fitness
balls and standing workstations.
“This is coming to an office near you,”
Dr. Levine predicts.
So stand up and get moving!
“We need to create this culture. The
default needs to be up and moving
instead of sitting and slouching.”
— Dr. James Levine
“Get Up! Why Your Chair is Killing You and What You Can
Do About It” by James A. Levine, MD, St. Martin’s Gri n
(July 2014), $17.99
Sitting by the numbers
94% 2 500
calories
The likelihood of female years
participants dying over the the number of additional
course of a 13‑year study by The the time you could calories you could burn
American Cancer Society, when add to your life by per day with activities like
those women combined sitting sitting for less than walk‑and‑talk meetings, walking
more than six hours a day with during lunch and doing
less physical activity, compared 3 hours a day housework while standing
to those who were active and sat Source: Dr. Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Source: Dr. James Levine
less than three hours a day.
Source: American Cancer Society BMJ Open
10 INSPIRE HEALTH March · April 2016
