Do you ever think about the amount of time you spend sitting throughout the day? TV isn’t the only culprit; desk jobs and driving add up as well! Luckily, the benefits of standing more and sitting less can counteract health risks and lead to a healthier lifestyle.
Why Should You Move More?
By sitting less, you can reduce your chances of chronic diseases such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar, which have all been linked to living a sedentary life. Moving more and sitting less can decrease the risk for other problems such as abdominal obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Tips to Sit Less:
Sitting too much or too often can be a problem, but there are simple ways to decrease time spent sitting for people of all ages.
- If you work in an office, try to get up and walk around once every hour or two. This will get your body moving and your blood pumping, which may help workplace productivity as well.
- As a student, see if any buildings on campus or at the library have standing desks to work at. This helps decrease the amount of time you would normally be sitting, while still being able to get work done!
- If you or your child watches TV, make a rule that no sitting is allowed during commercial breaks. Get up and walk around, do jumping jacks, or stretch — anything that gets the body moving!
- Be an advocate for ways to get up and move, such as recess in elementary schools and walking meetings at work.
Building these tips into your day will reduce your time spent sitting and contribute to a healthier and more active lifestyle!
Did You Know?
Studies show that Americans are sitting each day even more than they are sleeping! The average American sleeps for 7.7 hours each day and sits for about 8 hours each day.
