TOSS THAT CHAIR: TAKE A STAND AGAINST SITTING

You may want to sit down to hear this.

On second thoughts, don’t.  

Never before in history have humans been as sedentary as we are today.


We threw away the fags in the interests of health. Now it’s time to go one step further: toss the chair, now and again.

​No butts about it: evidence shows that in terms of our wellbeing, sitting is the new smoking.

 All-day desk jobs, tv viewing, internet browsing and car travel, on our butt is how we do it.

No more. To avoid the impacts of cardio-vascular disease and diabetes, to name a few perils, you can’t afford to take this news sitting down.

Arise, oh chair-bound one. The time of your ascension is nigh.

Take heart. It’s not nearly as bad as it sounds, as I’ve discovered. 


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I'm currently trialling the standing desk. I feel great. Instead of blobby and craving exercise I'm feeling taut and toned, without going anywhere. Hooray!


Anyway, what’s so bad about sitting?
 
What’s so good about standing?


Prolonged sitting inhibits essential enzymes from processing fats and sugars, leading to undesirable health outcomes (such as heart disorders and diabetes).


Standing burns calories and processes blood fats. It boosts wakefulness and over-rides the afternoon energy slump.  (see table at bottom of page for detail.)


Just how many calories is that? A  third more than sitting. Which can mean up to 50 calories an hour.  Be upright 3 hours a day for 5 days and burn 750 calories. Over a year, that’s 30,000 calories, equal to running about ten marathons.
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How much standing have I gotta do?
Sitting for uninterrupted prolonged periods harms. 
The Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines recommend we minimise the duration of our sitting and break up long sitting sessions.  
                      

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What if I exercise regularly, outside sitting hours? Sorry, doesn’t  help. To add insult to injury, those of us who exercise an hour a day and sit for eight are dubbed “active couch potatoes”. Thanks.    
        

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The Standing Desk

My standing desk didn’t cost a fortune. Actually, it didn't cost a thing: it was lying around the house.  An ironing board! 

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The great thing about the ironing-board is the ease of height adjustment.
Tick for height and tick for length: being long, it’s perfect for spreading out your stuff. 

Last word
How does this startling information sit with you? 
Are you up-standing yet?

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What’s so bad about sitting? 

• is linked with a sharp reduction in the activity of the lipoprotein lipase enzyme that breaks down fats. 
• boosts triglycerides, unfavourable for heart disease. 
•  harms blood glucose control because it changes the way our body deals with sugar. 
•  increases the risk of heart disease, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and thrombosis.
• packs on the pounds and makes our muscles lax. 

What’s so good about standing?

• breaks down blood fats and makes them available as a fuel to the muscles. 
• provides the constant, nearly unnoticeable increase in muscle activity our bodies crave for keeping our blood sugar under control. 
  
•  alleviates back pain, repetitive strain injury and arthritis
• burns calories
• enhances wakefulness and focus

​RESOURCES

Sitting is the new smoking by Sarah Berry
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/sitting-is-the-new-smoking-20130529-2nca0.html

Why the exercise guidelines take a stand on sitting
http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/stories/2014/02/24/3947295.htm

The Benefits of a Standing Desk
http://ergonomics.about.com/od/office/a/Benefits-of-a-Standing-Desk.htm

Calorie burner: How much better is standing up than sitting?
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24532996