Take a Stand

8 Nov, 2011Featured, Lifestyle Habits

My health is very important to me. I like the fact that I make sure that I have the time and give the effort to eating healthy, exercising regularly, and doing other things like yearly physicals to make certain that I am in the best shape that I can be. Recently though I found out that my job is causing me serious harm. Why? Because I sit for the majority of my day in one spot. It is obvious that sitting is not the best for your body or health, especially compared to standing, but who knew that it was creating some serious health risks that I can no longer just ignore? If you are forced to sit stuck in your office chair for hours on end, you might be having some sit-related issues going on too. Find out how sitting is causing you harm, and take a stand.

Body fat increases when you sit. This is not good news for any person, especially not any woman. When you are sitting down your metabolism is not working, and hormones cause your body to store up more body fat. If you’re like me you were probably thinking that your two hour stint at the gym each evening more than makes up for that lack of metabolism. That is not the case. The fact is, sitting is just as important as diet and exercise when it comes to weight loss.

When you sit you are hurting your back. Sitting down puts pressure on your pelvis and your back. And the pressure it creates, your back is not made to handle. To make sure your back is not too stressed, utilize the back of your chair. You should be sitting back with your hips slightly forward.

Studies have shown that sitting down for long periods of time every day can result in an earlier death. A recently published fourteen year study showed that women who sat longer than six hours a day were at risk of dying early by 37%.

All of these facts are startling, right? You can help in trying to avoid these risks by looking into getting a standing desk. If that is not an option, then take frequent standing breaks and move around often.