Have A Seat—Or Maybe Not
Too much sitting is harmful.
In this month’s AJN, author Linda Eanes sounds the alarm about the health risks associated with the way most of us spend much of our waking life: sitting down. Her article, “Too Much Sitting: A Newly Recognized Health Risk,” reviews research on the health effects of prolonged uninterrupted sitting (sitting for 30 minutes or more) and high-volume sitting (sitting for seven hours or more each day).
Studies show an association between high-volume and prolonged uninterrupted sitting and health risks, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and all-cause mortality. Sedentary time is also linked to obesity and an increased risk of certain cancers, including ovarian, endometrial, and colon cancer.
Eanes notes:
“Simply put, too much sitting, with its characteristic reduced energy expenditure and absence of whole body movement, may jeopardize health even in the presence of regular exercise.”
Exercise matters, but we’re still sitting too much.
Unfortunately, Eanes’s statement describes my life (see my September editorial) and that of most people I know: sitting at a desk, sitting while commuting, and doing some exercise a few hours a week. (Or what we like […]