“. . .more attention should be given to considering total daily sitting time and to understanding the individual, social, occupational, and community environments that contribute to [it]. Nurses have a pivotal role to play in increasing public awareness about the potential adverse effects of high-volume and prolonged uninterrupted sitting.” –“Too Much Sitting: A Newly Recognized Health Risk”

“Often when I ask patients about their lifestyle, they are quick to admit they need more exercise. As a nurse, I view such conversations as opportunities to discuss and encourage physical activity.” –“The Evolution of Physical Activity Promotion”

According to recently released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 15% of U.S. adults say they don’t engage in any physical activity.

Health effects of being physically inactive.

Leading a sedentary lifestyle can lead to well-documented detrimental health effects, including an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. The World Health Organization estimates that insufficient physical activity results in 3.2 million deaths annually.

Sedentary behavior varies based on location and race/ethnicity.

Using data collected from 2015 to 2018 as part of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the CDC notes that inactivity levels range from an estimated 17.3%  to 47.7%, depending on the person’s location and race/ethnicity. At one end of the spectrum, an estimated 15% to 20% of adults in Colorado, Oregon, Utah, Washington state, and Washington, DC, reported being physically inactive. By comparison, 30% or more of adults living in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and Guam are inactive.

In the majority of states, according to the CDC data, significantly higher rates of physical inactivity were reported by Hispanics (31.7%) and non-Hispanic blacks (30.3%) compared with non-Hispanic whites (23.4%).

Raising awareness, identifying interventions.

Nurses are ideally situated to raise awareness about the dangers of prolonged inactivity and suggest realistic strategies for becoming less sedentary. In “The Evolution of Physical Activity Promotion” (August 2015), author Elizabeth Ann Richards provides an overview of exercise and physical activity guidelines and includes tips nurses can share with patients about being more active.

And for additional information about the evidence on sedentary behavior as an independent health risk for cardiometabolic health conditions, certain cancers, and all-cause mortality, including potential interventions, see “Too Much Sitting: A Newly Recognized Health Risk” (September 2018), by Linda Eanes.