In Case You Haven’t Heard, Sitting Is, Like, Really, Really Bad for You

Of course, exercise is good for you. Movement is best. Being sedentary all day is, of course, the opposite. Duh, right?

But it’s not just non-activity that’s harmful. The actual position of sitting, like in a chair, is, basically, the worse thing you can do to your body. Even if you engage in regular exercise, even daily, it might not be enough to counteract the damage from resting on your rump all the livelong day.  

“We just aren’t really structured to be sitting for such long periods of time, and when we do that, our body just kind of goes into shutdown,” [Dr. Toni Yancey] says…She recommends routine breaks during a full day of sitting…Even if your work site doesn’t engage in routine hourly breaks, there are things individuals can do at their desks to break up a day of inactivity and get moving, even if just for a few minutes. Yancey recommends a few minutes of movement every hour.

Best line: “If there’s a fountain of youth, it is probably physical activity.”

Take care of yourself, good people. This is my solution to the long hours of computer work – a standing desk option for laptop users that can be put away at will. It works. Really.

Sitting All Day is Worse for You than You Might Think [NPR.org]