Stand up for your health
Our fitness consultant Craig Wise looks at the rise of “Sitting Disease” – and how to avoid it.
As a young boy I often watched my grandad stand up from his chair with a groan, hand on hip. He’d mutter something about shrapnel from an old war wound and how he’d been sitting down for too long.
Recently, I was waiting for my children and I saw another parent – younger than me – stand up, hand on hip, with a similar groan. For a few weeks after that, I became fascinated watching the people around me. I started noticing that many of our generation groan as they stand up. I never heard one of those people mention shrapnel from a grenade; instead I was watching the slow creep of what is becoming known as “sitting disease”.
WHAT IS SITTING DISEASE?
This is a label that’s becoming popular to describe the effects of sitting for extended periods. In fact, some researchers are now saying that sitting for as little as 30–40 minutes without a break to stand or move can trigger a chain of events throughout the body which includes poor circulation and inflammation. This can translate into more serious issues in the long run – cardio vascular disease, weight gain and all the fun issues that come with those.
It’s not hard to see how our modern lifestyles expose us to more sedentary behaviour. In 2008, Vanderbilt University published a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology estimating that the average American spends 55% of their waking time (about 7.7 hours) in sedentary behaviours (sitting in front of the TV, sitting at their desk, driving their car, and so on).
HOW DO WE FIGHT IT?
There are a number of things we can do as an individuals. First, we can recognise things in our environment and routine which could be letting us slip into a trap of extended inactivity. If you have a desk job then you may be at higher risk, so evaluate your work station and methods.
Here are some of my tips for avoiding becoming part of the seating:
• Stand and stretch your legs at least every 20 minutes, especially if you’re at your desk. Go and put some paper in the rubbish bin (not the one under your desk) or fill up that drink bottle you’ve been sipping to keep yourself well hydrated. Set a timer on your phone, computer, watch or fitness tracker.
• Take a walk right around your office when you can, if not every 20 minutes, then at least try to squeeze it in once an hour.
• Look at the opportunity to have walking meetings.
• Make phone calls on your feet.
Chances are, if you’re on the phone to me then I’m walking backwards and forwards. An added bonus: there are many studies about how different people act and are reacted to on the phone if they’re standing rather than seated.
For example, apparently salespeople increase their sales volume if they stand up!
• Investigate standing desks.
An IPSOS market research study of US office workers found that 66% wished that their employers would offer them the opportunity to have standing desks or adjustable desks so that they could either sit or stand.
AFTER WORK ...
After a hard day of sitting at your desk, followed by sitting in the car, the lure of more time sitting on the couch is strong!
However, try not to plant yourself there, unmoving, until bedtime. Get up and move during the adverts, or have some fun creating games.
I have one client who is rugby mad, but watching is an active pastime involving the whole family, as they compete to see who can do the most squats (or press ups or whatever other activity they choose) between the scoring of the try and the kicking of the conversion. Look for opportunities like this and the battle against becoming a couch potato is half won.
Remember, standing for just a little more each day can help tone muscles, improve posture, increase metabolism and circulation as well as burn a few extra calories.
And just so you know: I stood up and walked the room three times while typing this article.