Sitting Too Long Can Shorten Your Life Says Study. Are You At Your Desk Too Long At A Time?

Sit less.  Live longer.

Two years could be added to your life expectancy if you limited your "sitting" time to less than three hours a day.

And if you simply cut your television watching time to less than two hours a day, you could add another 1.4 years to your life.

"Sitting is a dangerous risk factor for early death, on par with smoking and being obese," says Peter Katzmarzyk, a reasearcher at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge and lead author of the study published online in BMJ Open.  Smoking also cuts about two years off of life expentancy, he says.

Reported in the Winnipeg Free Press, July 11, 2012, this is the latest in a number of studies which look at the health risks of the "sitting disease".  Research has linked it to increased risks of diabetes, and death from cancer, heart disease and stroke. 


So how can you avoid the effects of "the sitting disease?"

1.  Set your alarm for one hour, and each time get up and walk around or outside for 10 minutes.   Stand at your desk when possible, rather than sitting.

2.  Stand when speaking on the phone and even walk around during the conversation.  Use head phones to give yourself flexibility to walk during conversations.

3.  Go for a walk during coffee and lunch breaks. 

4.  Watch TV while walking on a treadmill.  Do floor and chair exercises while watching television or at your computer.  Pull your legs up to your chest and then hold them out straight.  Repeat five times.  Then sit on the floor and put your feet up on your chair to do situps five times.  Repeat the two exercises several times.  If it's appropriate to have bare or sock feet, that gives flexibility to flex your toes and ankles as well.

5.  Schedule walks before and after your work schedule.

What other creative ways can you avoid the "sitting disease" and therefore help extend your life?

Deanna Waters
Create the life you really want for health and finances
Our book: Success on Purpose...NOW! www.outskirts.com/successonpurposenow
How can we help you?  1-888-320-8250