So, you do a great job training and working out consistently, but what about the rest of your day?
How much of the remainder of your day is spent sitting? Whether it is due to a desk job, a long commute to and from work, or sitting in front of a computer, it is important to take a look at your daily physical activity as well.
A growing body of research is showing how hours of prolonged sitting is shortening our life span significantly and that’s even if one is very active and exercises on a consistent basis! One study revealed that uninterrupted sitting for 6 hours a day can shave as much as 5 years off of one’s life!
Exercise is critical to our physical well-being which is a given, but exercise alone does not counter the damaging effects of remaining motionless for hours on end. According to Marc Hamilton, an inactivity researcher at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, “excessive sitting causes electrical activity in the muscles to drop which in turn can cause a cascade of harmful metabolic effects” including:
- The body’s calorie burning rate plummets to about 1 calorie a minute ;
- Insulin effectiveness drops in a single day which can lead to an increased risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes;
- The enzymes responsible for breaking down fats and triglycerides in the bloodstream lower which in turn will result in a drop of levels of HDL (the good cholesterol); and,
- There is a statistical link between prolonged sitting and chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Do you have a desk or computer job? Get up, stand up and move around periodically throughout the day. Even the smallest of movements will help. Don’t let a busy schedule or time constraints prevent you from being healthy and fit.
Add healthy years to your life and…keep moving. Looking for a perfect combination of personalized instruction, encouragement, motivation and results? Let’s talk about how AVC Elite Training may be right for you.
