Tag Archives: inactivity

The Dangers of Prolonged Sitting

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You May Want to think Twice Before Grabbing That Chair

I bet you never thought “the chair” could be a deadly weapon against your health.  Well, you may want to think twice before “copping a sit” for hours on end in front of that television, computer or iphone.

Time to Move

Here are a few facts and statistics as to why:

  1. Sitting for extended periods of time can raise the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and premature death, even for people who meet their daily exercise requirements recommended by health professionals.
  2. If you sit for more than 3 hours each day, your risk for kidney disease increases.
  3. Sitting too long can cause what is called “nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.” Yuck!
  4. Sitting for more than 6 hours a day raises your risk of death, even if you workout!  For men, 6 hour a day sitters who exercise increase their death rate another 18% higher than those who sit under 3 hours a day. For women, 6 Hour a day sitters who exercise are 37% more likely to die over 14 years then those who sit less than 3 hours a day. Holy Smokes! If that isn’t incentive to get off that tush, I don’t know what is!
  5. Every hour you sit in front of the T.V. your life expectancy is slashed by 22 minutes.
  6. Watching T.V. for 6 hours a day can take 5 years off your life!  Is there anything good enough on television to watch for 6 hours anyway?

What if I am not watching television for 6 hours a day, but I have to sit all day at a computer and desk? Is it all hopeless for me? No…there is good news for those of you who do sit at work daily and that good news is this.

Get up and walk for better health

Interrupting long periods of sitting with as little as 2 minute breaks doing some light or moderate activity such as…

  • walking around
  • getting up from your desk and moving
  • going for a walk at lunch

…helps control glucose and insulin levels. In addition, you will provide better circulation and help in preventing chronic joint and muscle pain from simply sitting all day every day. That’s right…sitting can cause pain and body issues along with internal health issues! Now that alone is worth getting up and moving!

Stay out of the Death Trap and cut your risk factor for mortality by moving off and away from the chair. It will add years to your life and keep you far healthier in the long run…And…it just may keep that “derriere” from expanding as well!

 Need more incentive and motivation to get off that chair and move? Come join the AVC Elite Training Crew by not only getting in top notch physical condition, but extending your life keeping disease and illness at bay. 

How much do you move daily?

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So, you do a great job training and working out consistently, but what about the rest of your day?

Working at Desk JobHow 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
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  • 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.