The evidence against a sedentary lifestyle is mounting, and has been for years. And so are the opportunities to sit! More and more of us work from home, and the majority of those who don’t either drive or take public transportation to work. Cable companies boast packages with more channels, so we can sit and watch more TV. We sit and use apps on our phones, or text, or talk. We sit in front of computers for hours. We shop online.
I read this article about sitting and the risk for diabetes and other unhealthy outcomes, and thought about how much sitting I do. The article says those who sit for long periods, even if they exercise, still have a higher risk of poor health outcomes. My career is basically made up of reading and writing. And I am typically not standing up when I am doing either. In my defense, I do walk the dog a couple times a day, and I always roam around when I’m on a phone call.
Sitting too much is dangerous for our long-term health. We need to keep moving. I know I’ve written about treadmill desks and exercise balls in the past, and I need to make even more of an effort to find ways to move during my work days. On World Diabetes Day and every day, let’s make an effort to stand up and move!