How much do you sit? Think of your day. How do you get to work? Drive? Bus? When you are at work are you sitting? Maybe you workout and then get home and sit for dinner and end your day with some TV or surfing the ‘Net. You may be an active person surpassing the guidelines for physical activity but how much do you sit and how does this affect your body?Sedentary behavior (i.e. sitting) can lead to obesity and other metabolic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and breast and colon cancer. Addressing too much sitting has become a population health issue and countries including Canada are looking at practical and policy approaches. Several suggestions on changing how much we sit include:
- Innovative Technology such as desks that change height
- Regulations to break up job-related sitting
- Promoting active transport
Organizations such as the Alberta Centre for Active Living offer suggestions for physical activity at work including:
- Yoga at your desk
- Stretching at your desk
- Sitting on a stability ball
- Treadmill workstations
It is amazing to think of how much of your day you may sit. Next time you hesitate getting up from your desk, don’t. There could be some health benefits from it!
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