The news about the negative effects of prolonged sitting
are getting worse and worse. If the musculoskeletal consequences are not bad
enough, prolonged sitting has not been linked to a significantly higher risk of
heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer and depression, according to an
article in the Washington Post.
Gavin Bradley, Director of Active Working (http://www.getbritainstanding.org/active-working.php)
says: “Metabolism slows down 90 percent after 30 minutes of sitting. The enzymes
that move the bad fat from your arteries to your muscles, where it can get burned
off, slow down. The muscles in your lower body are turned off, and after two
hours good cholesterol drops 20 percent. Just getting up for 5 minutes is going
to get things going again. These things are so simple, it is almost stupid.”
Fortunately, the message is getting out. Standing desks
are no longer a construction of boxes on desks but well-designed pieces of
equipment. Standing or walking meetings are becoming accepted. (Personal
sidebar: I wished we had had those when I worked at IBM. I am sure it would
have shortened many endless discussions.) More and more devices are coming on
the market which can be set up as reminders to stand up more frequently.
For me, it’s not a matter of how many years in my life,
but how much life in my years.
Let’s get up and go!
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