Health Effects of Sitting

The CDC did a study that showed that 1 in 4 Americans spend more than 8 hours a day seated and almost half of the population do not exercise on a weekly basis. With less than 5% of Americans spending less than 4 hours a day seated.

In 2010, a study that was conducted on almost 200,000 participants found that people who sit more than 6 hours a day have a 71% increased mortality rate than those who sit less than 4 hours a day. Part of the reason that mortality rates go up so high is that sedentary lifestyles greatly increase chances of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Okay, so this is a lot of bad. So what do we do about this? A study conducted by the University of Utah School of Medicine found that just 2 minutes of physical activity every hour can take down that mortality rate by a third!

We recommend for all of our clients who have seated jobs that you set a timer and get up and move every hour for at least 2 minutes. Make it a company activity. Employers, build it into your company culture. Get standing desks so you can break up your sitting with standing. Set a goal to sit no more than 4 hours a day. Take into consideration your leisure time. If you love watching a movie after work, maybe watch the movie while riding on a stationary bike, or break up the movie with squats and other activities.

We got this! Let’s all try to sit less.

Start your health and fitness journey by scheduling a FREE Consultation today!