Blog with Rob: Is sitting the new smoking?

Recent headlines have been announcing that “sitting is the new smoking” and now a new German study proves that, finding that sitting extensively raise your risk of diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer.

In fact, an expert on cancer from Washington University feels that the data is strong enough say that sitting actually causes colon and endometrial cancer. In even more discouraging news, even if you exercise for 30 minutes a day, those 30 minutes does not counteract the sitting.

So, what can be done to combat the risk, especially for office workers who sit all day, 5 days a week?

1. Stand up more – set a reminder on your calendar and stand up and walk away from your desk every 30 minutes.  If that’s too much, aim for at least once an hour.

2. Walk more – print to the office printer instead of your desk printer, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or make sure to walk over and visit coworkers in a different department during the day.

3. Stand during meetings – if you’re the type to join the growing trend of “micro-meetings” (15 minute mini meetings), take them standing.

4. Stability balls – Some consider this hazard, but sitting on stability balls instead of a chair increases the amount of time you use your core muscles so that you’re maintaining at least a low level of activity. Just make sure not to forget what you’re sitting on so you don’t fall over.