For those of us with jobs that keep us seated for a good part of
the day, this is news you might want to take sitting down.
According to a recent article in the New York Post which
references the Institute of Medicine and Public Health’s recent
poll, we spend an average of 56 hours a week sitting at our
desks, in our cars, or lounging potato style on our couches.
This has triggered a new medical study on inactivity physiology,
which explores the effect of this sedentary lifestyle on our
health. We are designed to stand upright and move. When we sit
for extended periods of time, our bodies start to shut down at
the metabolic level. Circulation slows and fewer calories are
burned. According to the study, for every 2 hours spent sitting
the chance of contracting diabetes goes up by 7%. Risk for heart
disease rises when enzymes that keep blood fats in check become
inactive. Remaining seated has also been found to cause
tightening and weakening of the spine and other key muscles. But
that is not the scary part. Ev