Here’s a weird question: What’s more dangerous than smoking? Any guesses?
Believe it or not, sitting can be more dangerous than smoking.
Yes, you read that correctly.
To be more specific, sitting for long periods of time is more dangerous than smoking. Actually, it can be worse than smoking a couple of packs a day! The Harvard Business Review states that after only one hour of sitting, the production of enzymes that burn fat declines by as much as 90%. Lack of physical activity is linked to all sorts of disease including obesity, diabetes, increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels. According to The Mayo Clinic, too much sitting also seems to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. One study concludes “both the total volume of sedentary time and its accrual in prolonged, uninterrupted bouts are associated with all-cause mortality.”
The hard, but simple truth is uninterrupted sitting is killing us.
Taking it a step further, we need to be aware of the dangers of uninterrupted screen time while sitting. It’s easy to find yourself sitting for hours in front of a screen, be it a computer, television, or electronic device—the temptation and danger is always right in front of us.
The good news is that you don’t have to lead a sedentary life. Just because you might have to sit at a desk in front of a screen all day doesn’t mean you’re doomed to live a non productive life. Get up and take breaks. Walk up and down the halls. Take the stairs. Tap your feet to the music. Invest in a standing desk. Dance a little!
Just be aware and be proactive.
You can find out more about the harmful effects of uninterrupted sitting in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post.
Sources:
https://hbr.org/2013/01/sitting-is-the-smoking-of-our-generation
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22818936
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/25/health/la-he-dont-sit-20130525
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17sitting-t.html?_r=0
https://www.washingtonpost.com/apps/g/page/national/the-health-hazards-of-sitting/750/