Sitting for extended lengths of time on a daily basis has been linked to many negative health conditions including increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases and increased risk of disability, several cancers and Type 2 diabetes.

Ever heard of “sitting disease”?

Medical experts have started to refer to long periods of physical inactivity, being sedentary and their related health consequences as “sitting disease.” Mayo Clinic experts have even been quoted as saying “sitting is the new smoking” when it comes to serious health consequences.

Sitting for extended lengths of time on a daily basis has been linked to many negative health conditions including

• Increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases
• Increased risk of disability, several cancers and Type 2 diabetes
• Higher rate of metabolic syndrome (high cholesterol and glucose, hypertension, obesity, excess belly fat)
• Increased stress, anxiety and depression

Several studies have confirmed the negative health effects of prolonged sitting. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that those who sat as little as four hours a day had an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and death. Another study in the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that those who sat between eight and 11 hours a day had a 15 percent increase in mortality rate over those who sat less than four hours a day.

Lawrence Memorial Hospital is a major sponsor of WellCommons.

There are several possible reasons for this. People who sit the most are more likely to be overweight or obese and therefore at higher risk for obesity-related chronic diseases. Over the last few decades, there has been an increase in time at work and for leisure pursuits that Americans spend in front of screens, such as computers, televisions, video games and phones. Much of this screen time is sitting time. Many of us are engaging in less physical activity during the day, both at work and for recreation.

So what can you do if your job requires you to sit a lot? Here are some tips for at work and at home:

• Reduce sitting time by breaking it up. Try to get up every 20 to 30 minutes if you can. Set reminders to stand, stretch and even walk around. There are phone apps to help remind you. Do frequent “desk-er-cises” that involve specific stretches while standing or even sitting.
• For small group meetings, turn them into walking meetings. If you are able to, stand up while talking on the phone or greeting customers.
• Walk during your breaks.
• Keep beverages in a smaller cup so you have to get up and refill more often.
• Do everything you can to put extra movement and steps into your day, such as parking as far away from the door as feasible, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and walking (or biking) instead of driving to take care of close-to-home errands.
• If watching television, take standing or exercise breaks during every set of commercials.
• Exercise! Set an example for your family and be active together.

Above all, if you sit much of the day at work, do not go home and sit in front of the TV or computer for extended periods during your off time.

For more on sitting disease, visit acsm.org, cdc.gov or mayoclinic.org.

Aynsley Anderson, MA, RN, is Community Education Coordinator at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, which is a major sponsor of WellCommons. She can be reached at aynsley.anderson@lmh.org.