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Thanks to our technology, many of us sit in our cars, at work, and at home in front of TV sets and computers for more than half of our waking hours.
But these labor-saving devices come at a cost. For centuries, human beings lived in hunter-gatherer and agrarian cultures. Regular movement supports our natural metabolic processes; our bodies don’t function well if we just sit around. Recent studies have linked prolonged sitting with anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease, obesity, inflammation, cancer, and type 2 diabetes (Sanchez-Villegas et al., 2008; Thorp et al., 2011).
Even working out regularly can’t compensate for hours of prolonged sedentary behavior. A person can work in the tech industry, sitting at the computer for hours at home and at work, then hit the gym for high intensity workouts three or four days a week and still suffer from the adverse results of too many sedentary hours (Katzmarzky, Church, Craig, & Bouchard, 2009).
So what can we do? Fortunately, recent studies have shown that taking even short 5-minute breaks to stand up and walk around can help restore normal function, improving glucose metabolism and preventing cardiovascular risk (Dunstan et al., 2012). While more research is still needed to fully understand this process, health psychologists are developing interventions, and some people have begun using standing desks or sitting on exercise balls instead of chairs.
We can begin making simple changes to improve our health by:
- Taking regular breaks at work every hour to stand up and walk around.
- Standing up while talking on the phone.
- Walking down the hall to talk to co-workers instead of e-mailing them.
- Taking regular stretch breaks while relaxing at home in front of TV or the computer.
In fact, you can begin right now by taking a stretch break.
- Stand up.
- Shrug your shoulders, releasing any tension.
- Take a deep breath and slowly release it
- As you mindfully accept greater health and vitality into your life.
References
Dunstan, D. W., Kingwell, B. A., Larsen, R., Healy, G. N., Cerin, E., Hamilton, M. T., . . . Owen, N. (2012). Breaking up prolonged sitting reduces postprandial glucose and insulin responses. Diabetes Care, 35, 976-983. doi: 10.2337/dc11-1931
Katzmarzky, P. T., Church, T. S., Craig, C. L., & Bouchard, C. (2009). Sitting time and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41, 998-1005. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181930355
Sanchez-Villegas, A., Ara, I., Guillen-Grima, F., Bes-Rastrollo, M., Varo-Cenarruzabeitia, J. J., & Martinez-Gonzalez, M. A. (2008). Physical activity, sedentary index, and mental disorders in the SUN cohort study. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 40 (5), 1-8. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31816348b9
Thorp, A. A., Owen, N., Neuhaus, M., & Dunstan, D. W. (2011). Sedentary behaviors and subsequent health outcomes in adults: A systematic review of longitudinal studies, 1996-2011. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 41, 207-215. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2011.05.004
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Diane Dreher is a best-selling author, personal coach, and professor at Santa Clara University. Her latest book is Your Personal Renaissance: 12 Steps to Finding Your Life’s True Calling.
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