02.09.

2016

Alert:BrandNewResearchOnDamageCausedByProlongedSitting,And10TricksToCounteractIt

ByVivianGoldschmidt,MA

Alert:BrandNew
ResearchOn
DamageCausedBy
ProlongedSitting,
And10TricksTo
CounteractIt
Ihavetoadmit,Iwasguilty.Andunfortunately,IknowImnottheonlyone.Duetoall
theresearchandtyping,Iwouldoftenfindmyselfsittingdownforlongperiodsoftime.
UntilIfoundoutthatitisunhealthyandthatitactuallyhastensboneloss.
Tosolvethisdilemma,overtheyearsIvedevelopedavarietyoftricksandhabitsto
helpmegetupandmovemorefrequentlythroughouttheday.
Andnow,brandnewresearchshowsthatexercisesessionsalonearenotenoughto
staveoffthedamagesofprolongedsitting.Thesimpleansweristositless!
Sotoday,Imthrilledtosharewithyouthe10tricksIusetospendlesstimesitting.

TheDangersOfProlongedSitting
Becausesittingdownissopassive,itseasytopresumethatyourenotdoingany
damagetoyourbody.Afterall,whenmostofusthinkofdamagingourbonesand
bodies,weenvisionsometypeofinjuryfallingandbreakingabone,stressingajoint,
pullingamuscle,spraininganankle,andsoforth.
Butsittingforprolongedperiodscausessilentdamagethatcanbequitesignificant.
Herearesomesoberingfacts:
Sittingcanactuallyshortenyourlife,accordingtoanAustralianstudypublishedin
2012.1
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02.09.2016

Alert:BrandNewResearchOnDamageCausedByProlongedSitting,And10TricksToCounteractIt

Healthproblemscausedbyprolongedsittingarejustas(ifnotmore)lethalthan
cigarettesmoking,accordingtoanOhioStateUniversitystudy.2
Sittingisessentiallytheoppositeofweightbearingexercise,anabsolutelycrucial
componentofbuildingandmaintainingbonedensity.
Peopleoftenpracticepoorposturewhilesittingdown,whichhasmanydeleterious
effectsonbonehealth.Goodpostureappliespositivestressonbones,asin
weightbearingexercise,whereaspoorposturestressesboneinallthewrong
places.Thiscreatespain,skeletalmisalignment,boneloss,andmore.

BrandNewReviewRevealsMoreAlarming
Information
AjustpublishedreviewrevealsadisturbingtrendamongAmericans:wespendan
averageofsixtoeighthoursadaysittingdown.IntheUK,thenumbersareeven
worse,where42hoursofsittingdownperweekisaverage.3
Theresearchersforthisreviewfoundevenmorealarmingfactsintheirdetailedanalysis
ofahugebodyofdata.Theylookedcloselyattheavailableresearchonmortality,
diseaserisk,andtimespenteithersittingdownorexercising.Studyafterstudyshowed
theunmistakablelinkbetweenprolongedsittingandcardiovasculardisease,diabetes,
anddeath.
Butthemoststartlingnewinformationtheyfoundisthis:exercisesessionsonlyhelpso
muchinstavingofftheharmcausedbysitting.3

WhyMoreExerciseAloneIsNotEnough
Justsittingforfewerhourseverydaywasfoundtobemoreeffectivethanlonger,more
intenseexercisesessionsbetweenlongsitdownperiods.Inotherwords,ifyousitfor
sixhoursadayandworkoutforhalfanhoureachday,youreatgreaterriskforsitting
relatedhealthproblemsthansomeonewhositsforjusttwohoursadayandonlyworks
outfor15minutes,threetimesaweek.3

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02.09.2016

Alert:BrandNewResearchOnDamageCausedByProlongedSitting,And10TricksToCounteractIt

Thebottomlineisthatsittingforlonghoursisbadforyourhealth,regardlessofhow
muchyouexerciseduringnonsittinghours.
Thebestwaytochangethatistodecreaseyourtimesittingdown,andhereare10
waysforyoutodoexactlythat.

10TricksForSittingLessAtHomeAndWork
WhenYoureAtHome:
Mywatertrickisoneofmyfavorites.Istartedpracticingthishabitseveralyears
ago,andIstilldoit.Becausedrinkingwaterthroughoutthedayisanimportantpart
offollowingtheSaveOurBonesProgram,Ialwayshaveaglassofwater
available.Buttoforcemyselftogetupandmove,Ipurposelykeepitfarawayfrom
myworkstation.Notonlydoesthisforcemetogetupandmove,butitgivesmea
chancetodolungesandothermoveswhileImonmyway.
Walkaroundtheroomwhiletalkingonthephone.Thinkhowmanystepsyoull
takeifyougetintothehabitofwalkingaroundeverytimeyoureonthephone!
(Thiswouldworkgreatinmostofficesettings,too.)
Tacklethosecleaningprojects.Asyoureworkingonyourcomputer,watching
TV,orsomeotherformofsitting,stopandtakefrequenttidyupbreaks.Thisjust
meanstakingafewminutestoworkonacleaningproject,suchassweepingthe
floor,doingthelaundry,washingafewdishes,orcleaningasink.Andheresan
extratipdontbeafraidtodancearoundwhiledoingit!Youllgetsomemore
movementin.
Movewhilebrushingyourteeth.Goupontheballsofyourfeetandthenback
downthesetiptoeexerciseshelpworkyourcalfmuscles.Youcanalsostandon
onelegasyoubrushtohelpimproveyourbalancesoastohelpyouavoid
dangerousfallsthatcouldbreakabone.
Dosomeyardwork.Again,werenottalkingaboutahugeprojectthatwilltake
hoursjustsomethingshortthatyoucanstartandstopeasily,liketrimmingashrub,
sweepingthefrontporchandsteps,orwateringafewplants.

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Alert:BrandNewResearchOnDamageCausedByProlongedSitting,And10TricksToCounteractIt

WhenYoureintheOffice:
Useyourfeet,notthephone.Ratherthanpagingorcallingacoworkeror
supervisor,getupandgotohisorherofficeareaandspeakfacetoface.
Rigupastandupworkstation.Therearesomanywaystodothisdontbe
afraidtogetcreative!Placeashortstoolorpodiumonyourdesk,forexample,and
putyourlaptoporkeyboardontopuseapileofbooksorboxesputuptwopairsof
shelvesonyourwalloneontopforyourmonitorandoneonthebottomforyour
keyboard(orjustoneshelfifyouusealaptop).Shelfbracketsandasimplepiece
oflumbertogoacrossthemmakeaquickandinexpensivestandupworkstation.
Butbearinmindthatevenifyourestandingup,itsimportanttowalkaround.
Stopridingtheelevatoronyourwaytoandfromtheofficeandtakethestairs
instead.Thentakebreaksthroughoutthedaytowalkupanddownthestairs.
Trymeetingswhileonyourfeet.Insteadofsittingdownatadeskorconference
table,inviteyourcoworkertogoforastrollasyoutalk.
Doasmanyerrandsasyoucanwalkinginsteadofdriving.Ifyoucansparethe
time,walktothepostoffice,courthouse,orwhereveryouwouldnormallydriveto.
Theressomethingelseyoucanaddtoyourdailysitlessroutine:theDensercise
EpidensityTrainingSystem.
Denserciseisdesignedtobepracticedinsmallincrementsjust15minutesaday,
threedaysaweek.Youcandoyour15minutesofDensercisethroughouttheday,
breakingitupintooneortwomovesatatime.Youcanchoosemovesfromallofthe
daysandweeks(notjusttheweekyoureworkingon),oryoucouldevenchooseone
particularmovetopracticethroughouttheday.
TheconvenientPDFformatallowsyoutodoaquickwordsearchsoyoucaneasilyfind
appropriateexercisesforyourparticularspace.
ThatsanotherthingthatmakesDensercisesocompatiblewithyourcommitmentto
sitlessDensercisedoesnotrequireahugeworkoutspace,nordoesitnecessitate
anyspecialequipment.ManyoftheDensercisescanbedonerightinyourofficeor
home,usingyourchair,floor,orwall.
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Alert:BrandNewResearchOnDamageCausedByProlongedSitting,And10TricksToCounteractIt

Forexample,ChairDips(page17)caneasilybedoneusingyourdeskchair,andyou
candoWallSquats(page21)againstanyindoorwall.Ifyourenotsureaboutanyof
themoves,DensercisecomeswithanonlinevideocollectionwhereIbriefly
demonstrateeachmove,soyoucangoaheadwiththeexerciseasdescribedand
illustratedintheDenserciseManual.Thatway,thereszeroguessworkinvolved!

TakeExercisingForYourBonestotheNext
Level!
Learnthe52exercisemovesthatjumpstart
bonebuildingallbackedbythelatestin
epigeneticsresearch.

LEARNMORENOW

Nowthatyouvetakensometimetoreadtodayspost,goaheadandstandupand
move.Yourbonesandbodywillcertainlythankyou.
Tillnexttime,

References:
1vanderPloeg,H.P,etal.Sittingtimeandallcausemortalityriskin222497Australianadults.Archivesof

InternalMedicine.2012March26172(6):494500.doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.2174.Web.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22450936

2Veerman,J.Lennert,etal.Televisionviewingtimeandreducedlifeexpectancy:alifetableanalysis.British

JournalofSportsMedicine.201246:927930doi:10.1136/bjsports2011085662.Web.
http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/46/13/927.abstract
3Young,DeborahRohm,PhD,FAHA,Chair,etal.SedentaryBehaviorandCardiovascularMorbidityand

Mortality.Circulation.(2016):134.Web.August30,2016.
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/early/2016/08/12/CIR.0000000000000440

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