Sitting is shaving years off you.

How long do you sit for on an average day? Think it through to include driving, eating, work, relaxing…. I bet it is longer than you would expect. Most people don’t realise how long they sit. We’ve turned into a society that wants to sit rather than stand. Standing is seen as harder work, however sitting is actually causing your body a lot of problems.

Britain has been found to be one of the most sedentary countries in the world. We spend an average of 8.9 hrs a day sitting. That’s over a third of our day sitting .

Pilates with Priya: Sitting is shaving years off your life

The Issues:
Sitting for 8-10 hrs leads to a 90% gtr risk of Diabetes and 18% greater chance dying from heart disease and certain cancers. Now those are huge statistics. No wonder diabetes is on the increase.
Sitting for 60 mins  or more impairs the  blood flow through the arteries. When the blood doesn’t flow as easily you are at higher risk of a  stroke and heart disease. A simple 5 minute walk every hour can help negate this.
Sitting leads to a tight, less mobile back, lower back pain, tight gluteal muscles, short and tight hamstrings. This can all lead to back and shoulder pain. 

 

Remedies:
Stand up every 30 mins and have a walk around.
Find more ways to stand up as you do things – e.g. take phone calls on your feet, walk instead of driving, stand up on the train.
Build in regular walks to your day  – park your car further away so you walk further, have a lunchtime walk, get a dog!
Borrow small, active children that need exercising and chasing 😉 (mine are available on loan).
Look at getting a standing work station.
Use some simple leg and back stretches and mobility exercises daily.
Build Pilates in more than once a week – find the right exercises for your body and do them daily.