don’t be a sitting duck!

So you get up at 5am to get in a workout? Great! But then do you go to work and sit for the rest of the day, drive home & sit some more? Bad news -” too much sitting, as a distinct concept from too little exercise — is a novel determinant of cardiovascular risk”.

“Prolonged, uninterrupted sitting detrimentally affects several biological processes related to cardiovascular risk”, and “…new evidence suggests the potential for broad cardiovascular health benefits through reducing and interrupting sitting time through practical and acceptable approaches involving ‘sitting less and moving more’.” SOURCE

Sitting for more than an hour can result in a reduction of production of the fat-burning enzyme lipase by up to 90%, which in turn reduces the rate at which glucose is metabolized and lowers levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.

Excessive sitting can also lead to:

  • Weakened legs and glutes
  • Weight gain
  • Pain in the hips & low back
  • Stiff neck & shoulder pain
  • Potentially increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. SOURCE 1; SOURCE 2
  • Increased risk of varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis

Get up & move! Experts suggest going for a walk and staying active throughout the day. Enjoy some ‘exercise snacks‘, consider a standing or convertible desk, make a habit of taking phone calls while standing or moving about your office when feasible, take the long way to the bathroom or copier – just don’t sit in one place for too long, aiming to get a few minutes of movement for every 20-minutes of sitting.

Healthy at any weight? Maybe not…

In an article posted this week in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, Alejandro Lucia – professor of exercise physiology at the European University of Madrid concluded: “Our findings refute the notion that a physically active lifestyle can completely negate the deleterious effects of overweight and obesity.”

Obese and active participants were had double the likelihood of high cholesterol, were four times as likely to have diabetes and five times as likely to have high blood pressure when compared to normal weight but inactive participants.

“Exercise does not seem to compensate for the negative effects of excess weight,” Lucia said. “This finding was also observed overall in both men and women when they were analysed separately.”

Of course, overweight but active is a step in the right direction, but to really reduce incidence of chronic disease, it’s just as important to get weight into a healthy range as well

Need help? Join my monthly membership, or reach out to work with me privately to work on your fitness and weight loss goals. You’re worth it, and it’s never too late to get started!

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