Long Periods Sitting Leads to Serious Body Damage

With the arrival of 2013, so came the arrival of New Year’s resolutions. Losing weight and taking better care of ourselves is one of the most pledged resolutions and also one of the most failed resolutions. However, there is one simple task that can be done right at work as a new study shows. Dr. James Levine is an obesity expert who studies people’s habits and how they correlate into their health. He applauds the many people who actively seek better health by changing eating habits and exercising at the gym on a regular basis. However, even these fit individuals may be sabotaging their own health plans. Through Dr. Levine’s research, he has been able to identify one daily activity we all participate in that is causing irrefutable damage to our bodies. Sitting. We all spend time sitting, many of us for long periods while we work on a daily basis. Even at home, we spend too much time sitting as most people relax spending time watching television or playing video games. Our bodies are not designed for a sedentary lifestyle, regardless of the obesity factor. Dr. Levine compares the stress of long-sitting periods with that of a sports car left to idle. “The engine gets gunked up. That's what happens to our bodies. The body, as we know, simply isn't built to sit all day” says Dr. Levine. As an obesity expert for the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Levine also states that sitting is damaging to all people, even those who are regularly active. There is a simple and easy suggestion to help the body continue to function properly. Break-up sitting time. It is suggested that 10 minutes of every hour be used to get up from the desk and walk around, even if you have no real reason for doing so. Have you ever noticed an extremely fidgety co-worker? If so, that person is actually being physically active while sitting. The constant fidgeting is their brain’s way of alerting the body that it needs to be in motion. Co-workers who sit all day long but also fidget all day long are actually healthier than those who continue to sit still. Finding ways to keep active at home can also be a challenge, however to put things in perspective; if you walked around your house during every commercial break of a 1-hour program, you would be able to burn off approximately 80 calories in that time. Small adjustments can make a larger impact than many think and a simple 10 minutes of motion every hour can keep your body running efficiently. To learn more about Dr. Levine’s new study and how to help your body remain functional visit the cited link below to view the entire report.   Sources: NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams - Report by Natalie Morales - Article by Mary Murphy - http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/09/16431050-obesity-expert-says-daily-workouts-cant-undo-damage-done-from-sitting-all-day