It seems like a drastic claim, but let’s look at some of the research. A 2012 study (Wilmot et al.) found sitting for greater than 7 hours doubled the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and even had a 13% increased risk of cancer. And a 2015 review (Biswas et al.) of recent studies also found a significant association with sedentary lifestyle and cardiovascular disease, cancer incidence and type 2 diabetes incidence.
The World Health Organization blames sedentary lifestyles for approximately two million deaths each year and considers physical inactivity to be one of the 10 leading causes of death and disability worldwide.
So how did this come about?
With changes in design and ergonomics, sitting for prolonged periods has become possible and even comfortable. Add in the integration of technology and the modern workplace and it is easy to see how in the space of a few generations we have gone from sitting for a small fraction of the day, to the vast majority of the day. Consider the modern office worker from the time he/she wakes up.. sits to eat breakfast, sits during the commute to the office, predominantly sits for the next 8 hours; including lunch, sits on the commute home, sits for dinner, and likely takes a seat on the couch to watch TV at the end of they day. Trying to counter this with 60 minutes of physical activity just doesn’t cut it. As humans we were not designed to be in one position for prolonged periods. We are designed to move, jump, run, play. Our lifestyles have changed so much in the past 100 years, but our bodies haven’t!
These are the scary statistics of sitting and we need to try and implement strategies to decrease our sitting time. The benefits of reducing time spent sitting go far beyond low back and neck pain, but also include increased energy metabolism, improved circulation and even higher rates of productivity and concentration.
Sit less, move more
People who don’t exercise can be healthier even if all they do is reduce the amount of time they sit. And people who do exercise can be healthier by decreasing the time they spend sitting. A common pushback is that productivity goes down if you have to take a break every 15 minutes.. But it really is about changing position .. frequently. Can you stand for 2-3 minutes every half an hour while you reply to emails? Some air squats from your chair while you take a phone call. Marching on the spot. Stand up at meetings. Using your feet first and walk to see colleagues instead of emailing. Rather than overhauling your whole day, try and implement small changes that will add up throughout the work week. Standing desks are also a great option as they allow you to transition between sitting and standing easily.
Here a few more tips to get you started:
Remember, try and move frequently throughout the day. Make small adjustments and gradually decrease your time spent sitting. Also check out our Rehab Room for specific physio strengthening and Clinical Pilates in Cairns.
