Is Your Chair Killing You?
BY SHARON TERHAAR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AGEWELL SERVICES OF WEST MICHIGAN
We are hearing more and more about “excessive sitting” and the hazards. Some say this is our new health crisis. Some say it is as hazardous to your health as smoking. What is going on?
I recently saw an article in Weight Watchers magazine and it intrigued me so I did some research on this topic. Here’s what I found.
Americans are a very mobile society, always busy and always on the move. So how can we be sitting too much? Children sit more hours a day watching television, Netflix, and playing video games. Working adults sit at desks and work longer hours in the office and at home. Older adults spend more and more time in the easy chair and often avoid activity because of aches and pains. We all spend more time in cars than walking. According to Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic, “34 chronic diseases are linked to excessive sitting.”
What is excessive? More than 11 hours of sitting or lying down can create the highest risks. Most of us sleep eight hours a day so we need to keep active throughout the day and not sit for prolonged periods of time.
What happens from excessive sitting?
• Your leg muscles shut down and metabolism slows
• Enzymes that break down fat are less effective
• Insulin effectiveness will drop
• Good cholesterol levels will drop
• Mental health is less acute
• Blood pressure elevates
• Bone density loss can occur
• Increased back pain
Dr. Levine further states, “You are at risk for certain cancers, obesity, belly fat, heart conditions, and a shorter life span.”
Is exercising a half hour or an hour a day, as recommended, enough to turn this around if I sit or sleep for a total of 11 hours a day? From what I can find on the topic, it helps considerably. The more we move the better we will be. We need our zzzz’s every day so making a concerted effort to move a bit every waking hour is the key.
Here are some ideas to help.
• Change how you sit. Watch your posture. Look for new “movement chairs” in the future.
• Walk while you talk. If the phone rings don’t sit, stand or pace while you talk. If you have a meeting or you have guests instead of sitting and chatting, take a walk and do it.
• Move one to 10 minutes every hour. Make yourself get up and move. Drink more water so you have to get up and move.
• Do exercise breaks when watching TV or working. When a commercial comes on, when an email comes through get up and stretch or keep weights by your chair to stand and use them for a few minutes.
• Change some habits. We can all park farther out, take the stairs, extra walks for the dog, and stand to read the newspaper or emails.
• Visit Tanglewood Park! Use the fitness room, take a class and stay moving and don’t let those 34 chronic diseases start to get a hold of you!
This month, join any or all of the following classes for only one dollar! Tai Chi, Senior Shape Up, Quigong, and/or Zumba Toning are all offered in March for only one dollar. To learn more call the Wellness Office at (231) 755-0434 or 1-800-442-6769, or visit agewellservices.org.
Above, Dr. David Agus, professor of medicine at the University of Southern California and a "CBS This Morning" contributor, talks about new evidence that shows sitting for hours raises your heart disease risk.
Sharon TerHaar is executive director of AgeWell Services of West Michigan at 560 Seminole. To find out about Meals on Wheels and other programs for seniors in this area call (231) 755-0434 or 1-800-442-6769, or visit agewellservices.org or tanglewoodpark.info.
