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“Death by sitting,”it is likely that you have heard the phrase “sitting is the new smoking” in reference to how too much sedentary behaviour is bad for your health. “Death by sitting” is slowly impacting Canadian’s increasing are chronic health care problems. The majority of Canadians do not walk 5000 steps per day which is very concerning. We live in a society of desk jobs and people tend to drive everywhere. However, it is possible you may not realize all of the implications of sitting too much throughout the day.
Too much sitting is separate from too little exercise. Therefore, you can exercise regularly, meeting or exceeding the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines, but may still be at increased risk for fatal diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Which is why I like the expressions ” sitting is the new smoking” or “death by sitting”
Sedentary (from sedere, Latin for “to sit”) behaviours are activities that involve low levels of energy expenditure whilst in a sitting position. These behaviours include sitting during your commute to work, while at work, and in the home environment.
Research dating as far back as 1953 has shown that sedentary time predicts all-cause mortality independent of amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. This means that, no matter how much you exercise, if you spend the rest of your day sitting, you are at increased risk of potentially fatal conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
To further illustrate this point consider this possible weekday schedule:
- 6:30am: Wake-up
- 7:00am: 50 minute workout
- 8:00am: 60 minute commute to work
- 9:00am-5:00pm: Sit at computer at work
- 5:00pm: 60 minute commute home
- 6:00pm-10:00pm: Leisure time (e.g. Watch TV, Read a book, etc.)
- 10:30pm: Bedtime
If your schedule is anything like this one, you are exceeding the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week (50 minutes x 5 days = 250 minutes per week). Yet, you are still sedentary 23 hours every day; thus it is possible for you to be highly active and too sedentary simultaneously.
So how can you be less sedentary to reduce your risk of death by sitting?
The recommended amount of aerobic activity in the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines is in addition to routine activities of daily living. These activities include grocery shopping, walking to and from a parking lot, and housekeeping. Therefore, when it comes to decreasing your sedentary time, even little things count.
You can start by trying to park farther away when you are at the store, taking a five-minute standing break every hour at work, or getting up to walk around during commercial breaks while watching TV. Larger changes include, upgrading to a standing or treadmill desk, taking stairs instead of an elevator or escalator, decreasing leisure screen time to 1-2 hours per day, and incorporating a more active method of transportation into your daily commute.
If you are looking for more tips on how to be less sedentary check out the Canadian 24 Movement guidelines from the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology.
If you are suffering from pain or injury which is making it difficult to get active or move around call or text at 416-660-4187 so that how we can increase your pain-free activities levels and improve your overall activity. You can request a free phone consultation to take the first step back to an active life.
