Most of us know how bad smoking is for the human body but did you know that sitting is now causing health issues comparable to that of smoking? A new advisory from the American Heart Association states that sitting for long periods of time may be quite dangerous for your health. Being sedentary for hours can increase the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other difficult to treat conditions, much like smoking does. A recent study showed that men who sat for 6 hours a day had a 50% higher chance to die of a chronic disease than those men who only sat for 3 hours.
The human body was not built to sit for extended periods and it is just recently that many of us have jobs that require us to sit for long stretches of time. So what can we do? As a chiropractor, I know that movement is important not only in the spine but in the body as a whole. So what I like to recommend to my patients is to get up 2-3 times an hour even if it is only for a short period of time. This allows your body to break the cycle of sitting and also helps to make sure you are not stuck in a poor postural position for extended periods as well. An easy thing to do each time you get up is to get some water and stretch your legs.
For more information about the dangers of sitting for a long period of time, click here.