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Sitting is dangerous for your health

Zelenius

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Zelenius
Joined
Jul 8, 2008
Messages
908
It appears that prolonged sitting is about as dangerous as smoking is for your health.

When I first stumbled upon the headlines for such studies, I thought they only meant people who sat in chairs for long periods of time at work or at leisure and became overweight as a result. What I found surprising is that prolonged sitting is detrimental even for slim people who work out every day.

Apparently, prolonged sitting leads to not only muscle weakness in the abs and back muscles, resulting in poor posture, but also to metabolic changes that can increase the risk for heart disease and increase the risk of death from other causes. Even if you are not overweight. Numerous studies have demonstrated this, so it's not just one isolated study, although more research needs to be done.

As a result, I rarely sit these days(I'm currently standing at my computer). If I have to sit, I get up every 10 to 15 minutes to exercise, or I fidget if I can't get up. Some suggest exercise balls as an alternative to chairs. I wonder if squatting or kneeling is as bad as chair sitting. Standing a lot is easy for me since I'm athletic and have very well-developed ab muscles.

It sounds ridiculous, I know, but the risks are similar to smoking.

Any other alternatives or ways to compensate for the dangers of sitting?
 
Zelenius said:
It appears that prolonged sitting is about as dangerous as smoking is for your health.

When I first stumbled upon the headlines for such studies, I thought they only meant people who sat in chairs for long periods of time at work or at leisure and became overweight as a result. What I found surprising is that prolonged sitting is detrimental even for slim people who work out every day.

Apparently, prolonged sitting leads to not only muscle weakness in the abs and back muscles, resulting in poor posture, but also to metabolic changes that can increase the risk for heart disease and increase the risk of death from other causes. Even if you are not overweight. Numerous studies have demonstrated this, so it's not just one isolated study, although more research needs to be done.

As a result, I rarely sit these days(I'm currently standing at my computer). If I have to sit, I get up every 10 to 15 minutes to exercise, or I fidget if I can't get up. Some suggest exercise balls as an alternative to chairs. I wonder if squatting or kneeling is as bad as chair sitting. Standing a lot is easy for me since I'm athletic and have very well-developed ab muscles.

It sounds ridiculous, I know, but the risks are similar to smoking.

Any other alternatives or ways to compensate for the dangers of sitting?
Click to expand...
.
Exercise.
I'm doing more standing than sitting right now, and losing a few inches off the waist,.... if my belt isn't stretching. :)
Not losing any weight though. :(
 
Zelenius said:
It sounds ridiculous, I know, but the risks are similar to smoking.

Any other alternatives or ways to compensate for the dangers of sitting?
Click to expand...
Stop breathing, so you avoid the risk of getting cancer from polluted air.
 
rjh01 said:
I note that
1. This is over a year old.
2. It does not quote any studies.
Click to expand...

The studies are all listed under the article in "Notes"

I, for one, will not be reading them. It is the New York Times. It must be true.

Good for you my friend, I am trying to get standing as well. Put laptop on the chair on the desk. Problem solved.

Evolution.gif
 
If he took my advice, he will not be seen here again responding.
 
Standing too much can give you varicose veins and potentially lethal thrombosis. Maybe if we all just crouch?
 
Mmm, you're right. All this sitting is making me tired. Think I'll go lay down. :D
 
In the sensory deprivation float tank with 3D goggles and a brain scanner. You are now in the internet.
 
One of the freshmen at college failed the Phys. Ed. swim test.
Jumped in the pool as told, and sank straight to the bottom!
Hadn't a clue about swimming.
 
I haven't looked at any of the studies, but I would assume these are correlation studies.
 
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