The Danger of Sitting Still

Who else is buying a treadmill desk for work this summer?

http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2011/04/21/the-danger…

By Rachel Emma Silverman

In recent years, a growing body of research (and a number of prominent news reports, including this, this and this) has suggested that one of the worst things we can do for our health on a daily basis is what I imagine most of us are doing right now: sitting still for long periods of time.

Many of us think that a heart-pumping workout at the gym can counteract eight or so hours of sitting in front of a computer screen, plus several hours of TV time at night after work. (Physiologists call that being an “active couch potato.”) But scientists now believe (for reasons that are still not fully understood) that excessive sitting may be so taxing on our physical health that even a vigorous workout once a day can’t really counteract the deleterious effects. Indeed, it’s as futile as trying to counter a daily Big Mac diet and a pack-a-day smoking habit with a daily jog, scientists say.

When you are sedentary, muscle activity essentially stops, leading to a drastically lowered metabolism and a series of harmful consequences, like an increased risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and even death. As one prominent doctor told the New York Times, “excessive sitting is a lethal activity.”

The good news is that there are little things we can do throughout the day to help mitigate the effects of our sedentary lives. Doctors suggest that employees who work at computers stand up and take periodic short walks and breaks. While watching TV at home, try to stand up and do a light household task, like changing a light bulb, sweeping or cooking. Even something so simple as bending over to tie your shoes exerts more physical activity than just sitting still.

Some workers are turning to stand-up desks, adjustable-height desks that allow you to change positions throughout the day, or even the increasingly popular treadmill desk. (See pictures of such desks here and here.) Sitting on an exercise ball also involves more muscle activity and core strength than sitting on a typical desk chair.

Readers, how sedentary is your daily life, at work and at home? What, if anything, do you do to try to counteract the effects?