Why Sitting is Killing You!

Why sitting is killing you.

A new study puts some numbers on the different types of cancer that might be associated with too much sitting around can do. For every two hours spent sitting in front of the computer or television, the average person raises his or her risk of colon cancer by 8 percent, of endometrial cancer by 10 percent and of lung cancer by 6 percent.  We sit more than we do anything else. We're averaging 9.3 hours a day, compared to 7.7 hours of sleeping. Some have gone as far as to call sitting, the smoking of our generation. Health studies conclude that people should sit less, and get up and move around. After one hour of sitting, "the production of enzymes that burn fat declines by as much as 90 percent." Extended sitting slows the body's metabolism affecting things like (good cholesterol) HDL levels in our bodies. Research shows that this lack of physical activity is directly tied to six percent of the impact for heart diseases, seven percent for type 2 diabetes, and 10 percent for breast cancer, or colon cancer.  A study, published last year in the journal Circulation that looked at nearly 9,000 Australians and found that for each additional hour of television a person sat and watched per day, the risk of dying rose by 11 percent. In that article, a doctor is quoted as saying that excessive sitting, which he defines as nine hours a day, is a lethal activity. Now is the time to get up and move your life may just depend on it.

10 Tips to Stop Sitting Still

If you find yourself sitting for hours a day, try these ways to add more activity.

Wear a Pedometer: Pedometers are great motivators to add more steps to your day. First wear it a few days to see what your average step total is. Then aim to increase it by 2000 steps each day. Each week, try to increase the total of each day by another 1000-2000 steps. Once you reach the goal of 10,000 steps per day, you will have achieved the recommended amount of activity.

 Track Your Sitting Time: Some activity monitors and apps help you monitor your sitting time and some alert you when you've been sitting too long.

Set a Get-Up Break Each 30 Minutes: Set a timer to get up and move every 30 minutes for 2 to 5 minutes. This can be as simple as getting a glass of water, doing a few stretches, or straightening up your desk. More: 3 Ways Short Walking Breaks Reduce Sitting Health Risks

 Use an Exercise Ball as a Chair: For a portion of your sitting time, sit on an exercise ball. This will help activate your core and leg muscles even while sitting. It is best to use the ball for short periods of time at first and to alternate it with a good ergonomically-designed desk chair. The ball will also come in handy for doing a few exercises during your get-up breaks.

 Pace While On the Phone: Stand up to take and make phone calls. The phone can be a good cue that it is time to stop sitting. Even a couple of minutes of pacing will help break up the sitting time.

 Don't Make Things Too Convenient: Don't surround your desk with everything you will need in easy grabbing distance. Place items further away so you will need to get out of your chair to get them.

 Get a Treadmill Desk or a DeskCycle: Walking slowly on a treadmill while working on the computer is becoming a real option as more and more people are using laptops and wireless internet. A pace of 1 mile per hour or less allows you to continue working while getting away from sitting. You may prefer a DeskCycle to pedal as you work, which will also reduce your inactive time.

 Take Meetings Outside Your Office: Rather than having people come to you, get up and go to their office or invite them to meet while strolling.

Get Up and Talk Rather than Emailing or Messaging: Do you email people who are just a short walk away? Go see them face to face once in awhile.

 Sitting on a Long Commute?: Find ways to add in walking before or after a long commute ride sitting in a car, train, or bus. Park further from your office. Get on or off a stop early and walk the final stretch to or from your destination.

Switch to a Wii: Gamers should consider getting hooked on active Wii gaming rather than sitting. Wii is being effectively used in nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities. It can help those of us don't have physical challenges but who are still too inactive to get into the action as well.