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November 07, 2022 6 min read
By Eugenia Killoran
Did you know that simply getting up out of your chair on a regular basis throughout the day can deliver huge benefits? Why are prolonged periods of sitting a problem? Research is now finding that the more we sit, the higher risk factors like blood sugar rise, and the less efficiently our bodies burn fat throughout the day. But just how much "get up, stand up" do you need? In this article, find out.
FOR A LONGER, BETTER LIFE, YOUR MORNING WORKOUT SURE DOES COUNT.
But did you know that simply getting up out of your chair on a regular basis throughout the day can also deliver huge benefits? How much "get up, stand up" do you need? In this article, find out.
Back in the 1990's at the Pritkin Longevity Center, we all thought that one of our educators, Dr. Bill McCarthy had gone a little overboard.
At meetings, he’d pop up from his chair every 20 minutes and circle the room for a minute or two. In his office, he’d talk on the phone while standing or strolling around. “It’s how to live a longer life,” he’d smile while taking a peek at his pedometer, always attached to his size 32 belt.
We loved Bill, but wondered: “Really? Isn’t his 45 minutes on the treadmill every morning enough?”
Today a growing body of research is revealing that Bill was right. It’s not a good thing to sit for long periods of time, even if we’ve put in a good sweat every morning in the gym.
That was the conclusion of a study of 240, 819 American adults, ages 50 to 71, published earlier this year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1. Following these subjects for eight years, scientists found (as expected) that those who sat seven or more hours a day watching TV were much more likely to get sick or die than those who watched just an hour of TV a day.
But here’s the kicker: Even among people who exercised regularly (they worked out about an hour each day), high amounts of TV viewing – seven-plus hours daily – was associated with increased risk of death compared with regular exercisers who watched TV one hour or less a day. Concluded lead author C.E. Mathews and NCI colleagues: “Participation in high levels of MVPA [moderate-vigorous physical activity] did not fully mitigate health risks associated with prolonged time watching television.”
Simply getting out of your chair every half hour or so and strolling around for a couple of minutes can reap big benefits.
Why are prolonged periods of sitting a problem? Research is now finding that the more we sit, the higher risk factors like blood sugar rise, and the less efficiently our bodies burn fat throughout the day.
“ARRGH!” we can hear many of you saying. “Don’t tell me I’ve got to do more than my daily workout. When am I supposed to fit it in?”
We have very good news. According to new research, small changes can have a huge impact. And you don’t have to break into a training-heart-rate sweat. Far from it. Simply getting out of your chair every half hour or so and strolling around for a couple of minutes can reap big benefits. Science has found that blood sugar and insulin sensitivity improve, cholesterol and triglycerides improve, and levels of lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that aids in the breakdown of fat in the bloodstream, improve – all of which can significantly impact overall health, and lead to a longer life.
A study recently published in Diabetes Care 2 showed just how valuable getting up from our chairs on a regular basis can be. Researchers recruited participants aged 45 to 65 who were either overweight or obese. In the first part of the study, the subjects sat for five hours straight. Throughout this five-hour period, their blood glucose and insulin levels were measured.
In the second part of the study, the subjects again sat for five hours and had their blood tested. But every 20 minutes, they stood up and walked on a treadmill at a light-intensity pace for two minutes. Just two minutes. In the third part of the trial, also lasting five hours, they once again walked every 20 minutes for two minutes, but this time at a moderate-intensity pace.
There were two key findings, reported lead scientist David Dunstan, PhD, at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia. First, glucose and insulin levels were much more effectively controlled when sitting was interrupted with physical activity compared to sitting with no interruptions.
The other key finding was that light-intensity interruptions (the equivalent of strolling) were just as effective as moderate-intensity interruptions at improving blood glucose and insulin levels.
This is encouraging news, concluded Dr. Dunstan, “because ‘light’ is something that people could incorporate into their working day.”
“The implication for office workers and other people who sit for long periods is that if they can break up their sedentary seating time more frequently throughout the day, they’re going to have a better health profile,” states Dr. Dunstan. “In the future, we may start to see a change in the occupational health and safety recommendations to incorporate breaking up of sedentary time throughout the day.”
One simple – and motivating – way to add a few more steps to your life is by wearing a pedometer, available for just a few dollars in sports equipment stores nationwide. As Dr. McCarthy showed us 20 years ago, it’s fun to watch those steps tally up. Generally, 2,000 steps equal one mile.
And, of course, the more we get out of our chairs, the more calories we burn, which can help shed weight. Little spurts of energy do add up. In a newly published study 3, researchers at the University of Tennessee found that when people stood up and marched in place during the commercials of a one-hour TV show (there were 21 minutes of commercials), they took roughly 2,100 steps. What’s more, the subjects burned on average 150 calories. Yep, 150 calories…gone. In one year, that could add up to about 15 pounds…gone.
Below are a few simple tips to help you get up and moving throughout the day (without ever needing to change into workout gear).
Dr. McCarthy (who today, in his late 60s, is still thin and fit) knew what he was talking about. Getting out of our chairs is vitally important. And every step counts. Every step leads us to a longer life – and more energy and joy for all the tomorrows ahead.
Killoran, E. (n.d.). How to live a longer life: get up, stand up! . In Pritikin. Retrieved from https://www.pritikin.com/your-health/healthy-living/prevention/1686-how-to-live-a-longer-life-get-up-stand-up.html
1American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2012; 95 (2) 437.
2 Diabetes Care, 2012; 35: 976
3 Medicine and Science In Sports and Exercise, 2012; 44: 330
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