A sedentary lifestyle is associated with cardiovascular, metabolic and inflammatory risks regardless of age, gender or ethnicity; researchers say its effect on your health is just as bad as smoking or overeating red meat.
If you sit for long hours each day, use these tips to limit any harmful long-term effects:
Stand up for your health: Computer users who stand for as little as one hour per day while working have less back pain than their seated counterparts. New wireless tools and gadgets, such as stands and risers for laptops and monitors, make it easier to achieve stand-up working. Give it a try and get your blood flowing.
Be picky about posture: Cornell University researchers found the typical 90 degree seated position is not the most ergonomic, so look for a chair that allows you to recline 100 to 110 degrees. Armrests also help with achieving this posture.
Activity is more important than exercise: According to the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, regardless of regular exercise, a generally active daily life was most associated with longevity and cardiovascular health. Find ways to get moving at work: set reminders to get up and move about the office. Visit the break room for water or other healthy beverages, walk up and down stairs, stretch, and take frequent bathroom breaks.
The “bottom” line: If you must sit for long periods, then invest in the best ergonomic chair you can afford. Great chairs will reduce pressure on the body, points of contact with soft tissue, tension, and the physical stress of typing, writing, reading and phoning. Don’t pull marathon sessions at your desk. And most of all, squeeze some rest and activity in between periods of work.
Source: Cornell University, Precision Nutrition and Platinum Marketing/YOU Magazine
