Hi All.
I just watched the movie Michael and it inspired me with this blog. Are you ready to move?
I am sooo behind on my postings and apologize for the long wait. I have been so slammed with the many volunteer positions I hold, but that is on me. I am cutting back on some of the volunteering because I plan to actually enjoy this summer.
The one really bad part of being so busy is I have not been taking care of my health. I have missed so many workout classes and have compromised on my diet. So, you see, we all backslide. Good health habits just have not been part of daily routines for many years and sometimes it is hard to maintain them. One friend of mine reminded me of the days before remote controls, when we actually had to get up from our seat and change the channel or volume. A few extra steps in the day. Who remembers those days? Well, I do.
We have been conditioned to sit longer and longer. Many of you sit at a computer, either for work or for pleasure, for long periods of time. It is so easy to lose track of time and sit there for hours. I do almost daily. Then we always want to relax by watching some TV, especially when the weather outside is not inviting. Today’s programming provides so many different choices, there is always something for everyone, it is easy to get lost in a favorite program.
So, today I am going to discuss what sitting for extended periods of time can do to your body. I got this information from an email I received recently, and it made me realize how much sitting I have been doing, especially in the last couple of months.
Did you know that sitting for long periods of time can affect your heart and metabolism? Your body goes into low activity mode, and this is what can result:
Circulation will slow down, especially in your legs
Inflammation markers can increase
Blood pressure can start to slowly rise
Fat metabolism becomes less efficient.
I’ll bet many of you already knew this. But here are some other findings you may not already know:
Longer sitting periods are associated with higher cardiometabolic risk, which can include higher blood sugar and poorer lipid markers. I wasn’t sure about lipid markers, so I looked it up. They are fat-like substances in your blood—primarily cholesterol and triglycerides—that doctors measure to assess your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Being constantly sedentary can contribute to lower cognitive performance, but it can be reversed with light activity, such as a few minutes of stretching or walking. Remember I wrote about the 10-minute walk after a meal? Now you know that short walk could help you with your memory.
So why does that short amount of activity help you? Here are a couple of reasons why:
Improved blood flow
Reduction of inflammation
Increased alertness
Reduced mid-day fatigue
So if you are sitting for long periods of time, it isn’t truly harmful, but wouldn’t you like to be more alert and have less stress on your heart? We can all add some extra activity to our sitting day. When I know I am going to have to sit for a long time, I try to remember to set my alarm for 45 minutes. When the alarm goes off, I know to get up and move around for 15 minutes before going back to what I was doing. Sometimes I use those 15 minutes to tidy up the kitchen, or vacuum, or take in the wonder of my garden. Ahh, increased memory and creativity.
So my challenge is to be cognizant of your sitting time and try to slip in some extra activity.
By the way, on the weight challenge, I did lose 2 pounds in the month I was MIA, but I did gain it back. I haven’t lost hope of losing 5, now 7, pounds, but if I am adding activity to my daily schedule, I just may get there – eventually.
ASanté