Hey everyone. Today I will be doing a post about sitting. Some health experts are claiming that "sitting is the new smoking." They are finding out in research that sitting for too long can have detrimental effects on your body. This could be a big problem if you are sitting at your desk for 6-8 hours per day, 5 days a week. It is a good practice to get up every 30 minutes or so to stretch out and get the blood flowing. Going for a small walk and getting some sun is a smart way to take a quick break. But what if your job is so hectic that you don't have to time or the luxury to go outside and take a break every 30 minutes to 1 hour? Well some people are combining sitting and standing along with their work by getting a Standing Desk.
Standing Desks offer the best of both worlds. You can stand up to stretch your legs, increase your blood flow, and continue working all at the same time. This is a great way to decrease sitting time without decreasing work productivity. There are even options where you can put a floating desk on top of an already existing desk. The Floating Desk can easily be raised and lowered whenever you want to change positions from sitting to standing and vise versa.
The benefits of a Standing Desk include:
Burning more calories. Standing on your feet will burn 50 more calories per hour than sitting. If you add a little movement to your standing by doing some calf raises or squats, you can dramatically increase calorie burn. Burning more calories can lead to weight loss and prevent weight gain.
Decrease Cancer. Studies have shown that Breast Cancer and Colon Cancer are two types of cancer that are common in people who lack exercise in their daily lives. "A study from 2011 reported that 43,000 cases of colon cancer and 49,000 cases of breast cancer annually are caused by prolonged sitting. Though the cases weren’t as conclusive, the same study reported that ovarian, prostate, lung, and endometrial cancer also showed a strong connection to prolonged sitting." You don't want to be part of these statistics, so be sure to get up on your feet more often.
Longer Life. You will be healthier by burning more calories and helping avoid cancers by not sitting too long. Obesity can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. In a 2011 study research showed that "Americans increase their life expectancy two years by reducing sitting time from the standard six hours to just three hours per day." I hope you are starting to see a pattern here. So far there are plenty of reasons not to sit too long.
Improved Posture. Standing in a proper position will increase your core strength and prevent hunching over. It will also build leg strength and endurance to stand for longer hours without having to sit.
As you can see there are plenty of health risks associated with sitting for too long of a period of time. So be sure to allow enough breaks in your work schedule to get up on your feet and get the blood moving in your body. Or if you like the idea of having a Standing Desk, there are plenty of options out there to meet your needs. I hope you enjoyed. I will see you soon...
Reference: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-b-trafecanty/the-benefits-and-consider_b_9996782.html