The American Heart Association made it official; too much sitting increases the risk of heart disease. And there’s a misconception that if you exercise each day, it makes up for all of that sitting. Wrong! Anyone who spend lots of time sedentary, whether they exercise or not, is at risk. So stop sitting, it’s literally killing you.
What’s been discovered is inactivity affects the way our bodies process sugar and cholesterol; which then in turn puts us at greater risk of having a heart attack and stroke. And with the drastic increase of computer and electronic use, lack of movement is at its worst, especially as we grow older. The best advice is to sit less and move more.
Some call sitting the new smoking because when your body isn’t moving, it stops working; and the negative effects worsen when you’re still for more than 30-minutes at a time. Long bouts of inactivity throughout each day creates the highest risk of death from any known cause. And since most adults spend at least eight hours per day sitting, driving, using computers, watching television, reading, etc; their risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even death is greatly increased.
So what can you do? The most important thing is to move every 30-minutes. Whether you’re at a desk at work or watching Netflix, get up and move around for at least one minute every half hour. Set an alarm if you need to. In addition, plan exercise into your lifestyle with a goal of at least 150 minutes per week. If that’s difficult for you schedule, engage in a hobby that you like, play with the kids more often, touch your toes or throw the ball with the dog. Find a way to move as often as you can and you’ll protect your heart and your health in doing so.
