38 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • AUGUST 2021
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SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE RISKS
Health experts call it “sitting disease.”
It refers to when people spend more
of their time behind a desk or steering
wheel of a car or planted in front of a television
than they do engaging in physical
activity.
According to the American Heart Association,
sedentary jobs have increased
by 83 percent since 1950, and technology
has reduced many people’s need to get up
and move. Inactivity is taking a considerable
toll on public health.
A study from the University of Cambridge
equated inactivity with being
obese. The Mayo Clinic advises that
research has linked sedentary behavior
to a host of health concerns, and found
those who sat for more than eight hours
a day with no physical activity had a risk
of dying similar to the risks of fatality
linked to obesity and smoking. Increased
blood pressure, high blood sugar, abnormal
cholesterol levels, and excess body
fat all can be attributed to inactivity.
Mental health can be adversely affected
by a sedentary lifestyle as well. Australian
researchers surveyed more
than 3,300 government employees and
found men who sat for more than six
hours a day at work were 90 percent
more likely to feel moderate psychological
distress, such as restlessness, nervousness
or hopelessness, than those
who sat for less than three hours a day.
In addition, a sedentary lifestyle can
significantly increase a person’s risk
for various types of cancer. A German
meta-analysis of 43 studies involving
four million people indicated those
who sit the most have higher propensities
to develop colon cancer, endometrial
cancer and lung cancer.
Johns Hopkins Medical Center says
research shows that high levels of
exercise at some point in the day can
lessen some risk, but it’s not entirely
effective if most of the rest of the day a
person is inactive. Risk for cardiovascular
disease increases significantly
for people who spend 10 hours or more
sitting each day.
Various medical organizations recommend
individuals get up and move at
any opportunity to help reduce risks
of inactivity. Erin Michos, M.D., M.H.S.,
associate director of preventive cardiology
at the Ciccarone Center for the
Prevention of Heart Disease, advises
people who are very sedentary to aim
for 4,000 steps per day. Such individuals
can then build up to a target of
10,000 steps daily.
The Mayo Clinic recommends these
strategies to reduce the amount of time
you spend sitting.
• Stand while talking on the phone or
watching television
• Invest in a standing desk
• Get up from sitting every 30 minutes
• Walk at lunch or during meetings
Sedentary lifestyles can affect health
in many negative ways. But there are
various ways to get up and go over the
course of a typical day.
-Metro Creative Connection
Moving every 30 minutes is one way
to reduce the harmful effects of a
sedentary lifestyle.
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