If you’re like most people, you spend most of your days sitting at a desk and staring at a computer screen. While you might take a few breaks during the day to get a coffee, grab lunch or chat with co-workers, the majority of your time during the work week is spent being sedentary. It seems that fewer people are working jobs that keep them on their feet and moving – characteristics that were once associated with just about every job a person could do. But now, how is all this sitting affecting our health?
What the research says
According to Science Daily, previous studies have found that extended time sitting is linked to overall bad health, diseases such as diabetes and death from heart disease or stroke. However, a recent study published in the online journal BMJ Open states that by restricting the amount of time spent seated every day to less than three hours, you may boost life expectancy of adults in the United States by two years.
For the study, researchers utilized data collected in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for 2005-2006 and 2009-2010, states the source. From this information they calculated how much time American adults were spending sitting down and/or watching television on a daily basis. It was then compared to information in the research database MEDLINE to determine sitting times and deaths from all cases. The resource reveals that this included using information from five studies that involved nearly 167,000 adults.
“Given that the results from objective monitoring of sedentary time in NHANES has indicated that adults spend an average of 55% of their day engaged in sedentary pursuits, a significant shift in behaviour change at the population level is required to make demonstrable improvements in life expectancy,” the researchers explained.
What can I do?
This means that if you are able to just decrease the time you are sitting during the day to three hours, which still is a long time to be sitting down, you could make a dramatic impact on your overall health and increase your life expectancy. If you are a person who works in an office, try to limit your time sitting down for only the things that are absolutely necessary and can only be done sitting. Aimlessly surfing the web and looking at social media sites wastes a large portion of many people’s days and this time could be better spent walking or standing.
If you must sit longer than three hours, consider sitting on a medicine ball to work your muscles while sitting. MSNBC states that sitting on a medicine ball strengthens your back, legs and abdominal muscles and it’s a good way to incorporate a little exercise into your otherwise sedentary day.
“What we are trying to promote is active sitting versus passive sitting,” physical therapist Cheryl Soleway, a consultant to Ball Dynamics of Longmont, which sells the products told the publication. “You get a low level of neuromuscular activity — your abdominal and trunk muscles are contracting to some degree. Without that activity, you would fall off.”
Dr. Newton’s can help
An all-natural supplement from Dr. Newton’s Naturals may also help you to lead a more active lifestyle. There are a variety of products that can boost your energy and might encourage you to get out and about during the work day.
For example, CalMax Original combines calcium, magnesium and vitamin C to reduce pain and stiffness and provide you with more energy upon waking. This is a convenient and tasty way to improve your health in the office today.
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