LaMond Family Medicine

Walking meetings are a great idea as is any reason to get yourself up off your seat at regular intervals throughout the day. Recent studies about the health risks associated with too much sitting are startling. Who would have believed that sitting could be just as dangerous to your health as smoking?

Just how dangerous is too much time sitting down?

o Researchers from the University of Missouri suggest that sitting most of the day may put individuals at higher risk for diabetes, obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease — even with daily exercise.
o A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that women who sat six or more hours a day were nearly 40% more likely to die over a 13-year-stretch than those who sat less than three hours. For men, sitting for more than six hours a day was linked with an 18% higher risk of death.
o Sitting may be responsible for more than 170,000 cases of cancer yearly — with breast and colon cancers being the most influenced by rates of physical inactivity.
o People who sit most of the day are 54% more likely to die of a heart attack.

What can you do to reduce your risk?

o Take a 10-minute activity break at scheduled times each day.
o Park farther away from the places where you work, shop, play, study and worship.
o Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
o Put printers a short walking distance away from your work or study space instead of right next to it.
o Replace desk chairs with stability balls, or use a standing desk to get rid of the chair entirely to burn more calories while working.
o Fidget, stand up and stretch at intervals during meetings and prolonged desk work.
o Be creative in finding more ways to fit in light exercise and walking throughout the day, like a walking meeting!

Taking small steps (literally) to add more movement and activity into your day will improve your health.