Although more and more research has been showcasing the detrimental effects of a sedentary lifestyle, people still aren’t budging. In fact, a sedentary lifestyle (also known as the “sitting disease”) has been said to be worse than smoking cigarettes. An article by The Active Times states that “sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting.”
To summarize, a sedentary lifestyle is lethal. It substantially increases the risk of many diseases, is strongly linked to obesity, and shortens lifespans. Despite this, many adults are still leading sedentary lifestyles. According to Mayo Clinic, 50-70% of people sit at least six hours per day, and 20-35% of people spend over four hours every day watching TV.
Even more frightening, statistics gathered by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services reveal that only one in three adults achieve the recommended amount of physical activity each week, and more than 80% of adults do not meet the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.
With more than one-third of U.S. adults living with obesity, it’s more important now than ever to educate yourself on the effects of sitting too much and start working towards an active lifestyle. Check out this infographic below to learn a bit more about how a sedentary lifestyle affects your health and quality of life:
Do you know if you’re sitting too much? Chances are, yes – you’re most likely sitting too much. Even if you hit the gym for 30 minutes after work each day, your lifestyle can still be classified as “sedentary” if you spend the rest of your day on your bum.
The good news is that an active lifestyle is more achievable than you might think. All it takes is some effort to move more and sit less, while getting in your 150 minutes of exercise each week. Follow a few of these tips to live a more active lifestyle:
- Use a standing desk at work
- Deskercise while you work
- Get up and walk for five minutes each hour of the workday
- Limit time spent watching TV and on the computer
- Go outside more
- Walk around while talking on the phone
- Start a walking club at your office
- Stand while eating lunch
- Take the stairs
- Start an outdoor hobby (gardening, photography, fishing)
- Get up and move during commercial breaks
- Do light stretches for a few minutes every hour of the workday
Don’t pay the hefty price of sitting too much. Start educating yourself and others on the health benefits of regular exercise and start moving more today!
How do you combat a sedentary lifestyle? Comment below!
Images: courtesy of Freepik.com
