Why Experts Say “Sitting is the New Smoking”

It’s no secret that our lives as Americans have become very sedentary over time.  With digital devices, big screens, and comfy couches, it’s easier than ever to spend the majority of our time sitting.  Yet health experts are warning that too much sitting can be just as detrimental to our health as smoking, leading to the headline “sitting is the new smoking.”

The human body was not designed to sit.  Statistics reveal that on average, Americans spend 93% of their lifetimes indoors and 70% of each day sitting. Any extended sitting, whether it’s at a desk, behind a wheel, or in front of a screen, can be harmful to your health.  According to mayoclinic.org, people who sit for more than eight hours a day without physical activity have a similar risk of dying as people who are obese or smoke.  

So what happens when we sit too much? Sitting or lying down for too long increases our risk for a number of health issues, including:

• Obesity
• Increased blood pressure
• Increased diabetes risk
• Unhealthy cholesterol levels
• Excess body fat around the waist
• Reduced circulation
• Brain fog
• Anxiety & depression
• Loss of muscle & bone strength

Extended sitting also appears to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer (several types of cancers are believed to be caused by inactivity).

When you sit, your metabolism slows down by 90% 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 turn off. And, after two hours, good cholesterol drops 20%.

Getting up for even five minutes can get things going again. Every time you stand, you’re using your large muscles, especially those of your legs and back, which has a positive effect on how the body uses and stores sugars and fats. Not only that, when you stand up the body initiates a shift in fluids, volume, and hormones, and causes muscles to contract. Almost every nerve in the body is stimulated.

So if “sitting is the new smoking,” how do we “quit”? Try incorporating these strategies to help counteract a sedentary lifestyle:

• Use a standing desk if you can, or stand for periods throughout the day.
• Set a timer. Use your phone or a timer to remind you to stand up at least every 30 minutes.
• Try a medicine ball! Instead of sitting on a chair, sitting on a medicine ball can engage your core and help you stop slouching.
• Take the stairs! Avoid elevators when you can.
• Become more active. Moderate-intensity physical activity for 60 to 70 minutes per day is ideal.
• Or, get in your steps. Walking for more than 2,200 steps per day was linked with lower odds of developing heart disease or early death. If you can, walking 9,000 to 10,000 steps per day is the most beneficial to your health.

The impact of movement for our bodies is profound. We just need to learn to “quit” the sit.