Sitting: Is it the New Smoking?

That was a cover headline on an AARP Bulletin earlier this year.

And the evidence is mounting that being sedentary - literally sitting too much - is just as hazardous to your health and longevity as smoking or other unhealthy activity. Naturally it's a catchy headline that makes people look twice -- and hopefully, think twice-- because many of us who don't smoke and incorporate other healthy habits like drinking water and eating low-fat, low-sugar foods think we are pretty well doing enough -- even though we fail to get regular physical activity most days. Most of us say and think we are "too busy" to be active.

There has been a world-wide shift toward less physically demanding work, we depend on cars to take us around the block, we bus our children to school even when they live less than a mile from the door, we have many labor saving devices in our homes ( hello, remote control!) and we all amass more screen time than ever before - at work, at home. The result is that 60% of the world's population gets insufficient physical activity every single day. Sadly our children are leading this same lifestyle at an even earlier age: enjoying less active playtime both at school and at home.

Diabetes, obesity, cancer and early death are now linked to sitting for prolonged periods of time.

If you work in an office, or drive for a living, or find yourself sitting for many hours of the day, do your body a favor and get up after every hour and move around for at least three minutes. Set a timer if you must.



Posts to this blog have focused largely on food choices as a way to control overweight because it is true that you can make a quick, significant difference in your weight by changing the kind and amount of food you eat. But you can  profoundly change the way you look and feel and the way your body metabolizes food by moving more- and more often throughout the day!

Wherever you are as you are reading this, I encourage you to commit to moving at least 20 minutes more each day - and a good way to keep that commitment is to make it public.  Davis Health System is kicking off its annual 100 Miles in 100 Days campaign - please join hundreds of your neighbors as they begin the journey of 100 miles (and more) with their first mile - about 20 minutes - of walking (or jogging, swimming, biking, or exercise class) - on May 27. Register and find out more at http://www.dhs100miles.com/.