Take a stand against sitting

Dr Richa Kulkarni explains the hazards of prolonged sitting.

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Stand rather than sit

According to the Institute of Medicine and Public Health, prolonged sitting in one place results in multiple risks for the human body. It advises against sitting at one place for a longer time either in front of the television, or at the computer or driving a car. Prolonged sitting increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 Diabetes, obesity, and early death. For adults with Type 2 Diabetes, it is also related to poor glucose management.

The reason behind this increased level of disorders is immobility of the body. Our bodies are made to move and lack of movement causes our bodies to fail us. Inventions and innovations of the last 100 plus years that reduce the amount of physical work are counterproductive because they prevent us from sufficiently moving our bodies. The muscle activity needed for even minute movements of the body, such as standing or even walking, triggers important processes related to breakdown of fats and sugars. Prolonged sitting stalls these processes and increases your health risks.

Movement matters

Ultimately movement is extremely necessary to the body, even if it is in small amounts.

It allows your metabolism to remove glucose from your bloodstream and reduce fat levels in your blood, both reduces the insulin resistance. Body movements matter because regular physical activity can:

• aid weight loss and weight maintenance
• improve cardio-respiratory fitness
• improve cholesterol and blood pressure levels