The human body is made to move. Actually, the body is designed to stop and walk long distances. Unfortunately, with our information-based society, we no longer use our bodies while working in agriculture or spending as much time outdoors exercising. These days, much of our days are spent sitting down, whether we’re sitting at our desks for 8 hours a day, or sitting at home, watching TV, or just lounging.
A recent study found that, based on 100,000 men and women, the amount of time they spend sitting per day had a big determine on how early someone would die. The more a person sits, the more likely it is that they will die sooner. The most surprising part of this study was the fact that even those who had a generally active lifestyle were at risk. This means that if you plan to jog in the morning and sit for the rest of the day, you’ll be no better off than those who don’t exercise at all.
This has a lot to do with blood flow and the design of our body and muscles. In the sitting position, our blood flow is reduced to the lower part of our body. Also, our muscles can start to atrophy from sitting for long periods of time. Muscle tissue shrinks and we are no longer able to metabolize calories as we should.
Since most of us have jobs that require us to sit, there isn’t much we can do to control the urge to sit. There are a few options, like making sure to take breaks, and we can even go for a walk during lunch (or bring a coworker along for a buddy walk).
A solution that is becoming fashionable among many people (and companies alike) is the standing desk. A standing desk will adjust from a sitting to a standing position, allowing you to sit or stand throughout the day (depending on your energy level). With a standing desk, your body will get much-needed activity, while being generally more productive with better blood flow.
You don’t have to stay on your feet very long to get a great health benefit. Even if you stand for 1-2 hours (out of an 8 hour day), it will go a long way to greatly reduce the problems that sitting causes. One of the most popular companies for standing desks is Anthro. Take a look at some of their desks and find out more about what you can do to prevent ‘sitting sickness’.
