Too Much Sitting Is The New Smoking

You’re well into the new year and super proud of the progress you’re making. You’ve hit the gym a couple times a week consistently, tried to get in a healthy mix of cardio, strength, core, and flexibility work. You’re eating better and feeling great. While each of these new habits is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and will certainly help you reach your health and fitness goals, there’s still one more thing you need to do: STAND UP!

Did you know one hour of exercise a day won’t put a dent in the negative side effects of too much sitting? Depressing, I know—but stick with me. It’s a reality that has to be contested for our overall health.

A Sitting Culture

As we’ve advanced as a society, we’ve become increasingly sedentary. A 2008 Vanderbilt University Study of 6,300 people published in the American Journal of Epidemiology estimated that an average American spends 58% of waking time (7.7 hours a day) in sedentary behaviors such as sitting. Dr. James Levine, director of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative and inventor of the treadmill desk, has found that “Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.” Yikes.

Researchers have been working for years to document the negative effects sitting has on the body. There’s evidence that sitting increases the risk of developing various types of cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. It also increases your risk of obesity, can decrease your mobility, and simultaneously interferes with the enzyme that breaks down fat (lipoprotein lipase), which can lead to fat being stored instead of utilized. Oh, and let’s not forget, sedentary behavior is associated with a higher risk of developing depression. Scared sit-less, yet? There’s more …

The Turning Point

What’s worse is we used to believe that getting a solid workout in could offset all the time we spend sitting at our desks hammering out emails, in our chairs for meetings, in our cars traveling from place to place, on our couch watching TV, and even at the dinner table for our meals. But sadly it doesn’t work that way. Per a 2010 American Cancer Research study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology that followed 123,216 individuals from 1993-2006, women who were inactive (sitting more than 6 hours a day) were 94% more likely to die during the same time period as women who sat less than 3 hours a day. And men? 48% more likely to die. But more importantly, the findings were independent of physical activity levels. In other words, the effects of sitting were just as alarming even if they exercised regularly!

Hopefully, you are now sufficiently motivated to GET UP! The cause is not lost. Here are three steps to sit less, move more, and ensure your body can keep moving for years to come.

How to Sit Less

1. Establish Awareness

Become aware of how long you’ve been seated by setting a timer that reminds you to move. The Apple Watch has a Time to Stand Notification that reminds you to move if you haven’t over the last hour. But if you don’t have a watch, simply set a timer and when it goes off, move around. General step counters are also nice, to encourage movement and daily accountability—just make sure to spread out those steps throughout your day.

2. Move More Often

The answer isn’t just standing instead of sitting (so no, you can’t just ditch your office chair for a standing desk and call it good). You actually need to move. If you have a more traditional office job, here are a few ideas for the next time you get nudged to stand while at work. If your job already has you upright and you don’t have a traditional office set-up, make sure you walk (even march in place or take small steps side-to-side), squat, bend forward at the waist or side to side, and twist whenever you can. The secret is to change positions as often as you can.

3. Offset The Sitting Slump

Even if you can accomplish #1 and #2, working a desk job, driving around town, or even sitting on a plane for too long can wreak havoc on your body. Adding functional training to your weekly exercise routine is the best way to ensure muscles that are shortened, tight, and weak from sitting having the opportunity to get back in working order! There are also some stretches and exercises you can do while at work, which we highlighted last week.

Some of the most famous Gurus are Baba Ram Dev who teaches his followers how Yoga can change your life and how you can cut out many life problems just by adding Yoga to your daily routine. Another most known spiritual guru is Saint. Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan he is kind of a multi-talented personality. He has many blind trusted followers who follow him like crazy, He talks about life and how one can achieve success in their life. He asked his followers to do meditation every day and regular workout for a healthier life.

Of course, we’re not saying that all your hard work in the gym is useless. Working your body from head to toe, strengthening the heart, and increasing your mobility will form the foundation of your fitness journey. But bringing awareness to what happens the other hours and days that you aren’t in the gym will also play a big part in your longevity and vitality!

Stretch To Stress Away

Are you one of the many individuals who is sitting at a desk staring at computer monitors all day? Do you leave the office at night feeling stiff and tired? Are you aware that sitting is the new smoking?! Sitting at a desk all day does a have an effect on your body, and we want to help combat that. Below is a stretching routine you can do to help eliminate some of the stiffness you may be feeling after a hard day’s work.

Perform each stretch three times, gently easing into the stretch. Slowly go as far as you can without causing discomfort or pain. Be careful not to go beyond your limit and avoid bouncing up and down or jerky movements. Hold each stretch for up to 10 seconds. Be sure to breathe normally; do not hold your breath.

Stretches for your Legs:

If you feel like your leg muscles are tight, you may benefit from working with a physical therapist to improve your flexibility. Your PT can show you the right exercises that you can do to help improve your overall lower extremity mobility and flexibility.

Many people suffer from tight leg muscles. A very common cause of leg tightness is due to the amount of time we spend sitting throughout the work day. As our knees are bent in this position, the muscles that flex the knee joint become used to being in this shortened position. We also tend to get a little tighter as we age and our muscles lose a bit of water content and extensibility.

Stretches for your Arms & Neck

Whether you slept in a funky position last night or you have been sitting and staring tensely at your computer for hours on end, neck pain happens. And a crick in the neck is not only annoying and painful, but it can also lead to headaches and upper back pain. To help reduce the aches and pains try a few of these satisfying stretches.

After taking a long, hot shower to help loosen the muscles, try a few (or all) of them for a little instant relief. You'll feel better and maybe you’ll even stand a bit taller.

Stretches for your Back

You want to maximize your performance and feel your best — but if you’ve got debilitating back pain, it can be hard to focus on anything else. The good news is, back pain relief is often just a few simple back stretches and exercises away.

There are a few back pain causes (like spasms, muscle strains, or disk issues), but the end result is the same — chronic pain that keeps you from living your best life.

Stretches for your Hips

 It doesn’t matter if you’re desk-bound, vying for a marathon finishes line, or consider yourself a cyclist or Cross Fitter — you’ve probably got tight hips.

The more than 20 muscles that make up your hips are responsible for stabilizing your pelvis, moving your legs from side to side, and shortening to draw your knees toward your chest every time you sit down, run, jump or pedal, explains Kelly Moore, a certified yoga instructor and co-founder of Mindful Wellness, which brings health and wellness initiatives to companies throughout Chicago.

Basically, your hips do a lot of work and that takes a toll. Short, tight hip muscles can reduce your range of motion throughout the joint, weaken your glutes, and tilt your pelvis, causing excessive curvature in your spine as well as low backaches, she says. Plus, tight hip muscles just hurt.

These 7 Lifestyle Habits Will Help You To Live A Healthy Life

Being fit and healthy doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to working out for hours a day and eating nothing but chicken and steamed broccoli for every meal.

In fact, there are several more effective (and less painful!) habits you can adopt today that will not only help you get in shape in the short-term but will help you stay that way for the long run as well.

1. Never Skip Your Breakfast Meal

A healthy breakfast starts your day off right. It sets you up so that you have energy and fuel for optimal mental and physical performance. Eating breakfast helps to maintain stable blood sugar levels and a healthy weight because you are less likely to overindulge later in the day.

2. Practice Long and Slow Eating

Have you ever noticed how long it takes most thin people to eat their meals? My sister was always the last one to finish her meal, and it drove the rest of the family crazy. We were sure it was her ploy to get out of clearing the table or doing the dishes! It was not until years later that I realized her slow eating is the secret to her trim figure.

Most Americans eat too fast, and, as a result, they take in too many calories before they realize they've eaten enough. It takes approximately 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to send out signals of fullness. Leisurely eating allows ample time to trigger the signal from your brain that you are full. And feeling full translates into eating less.

Recent research presented at a meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity showed that overweight men and women took in fewer calories when they slowed their normal eating pace. And a recent Japanese study involving 1,700 young women concluded that eating more slowly resulted in feeling full sooner and thus eating fewer calories at mealtime.

3. Walk More

Even if you go to the gym six days a week, the real key to lifelong fitness is to simply be more active and walk more in your day-to-day life. Try making a conscious effort to walk whenever and wherever you can: to the grocery store, to get your afternoon coffee or go on a post-dinner stroll with your family. Try and aim for at least 10,000 steps a day.

4. Make Timely Sleep Your priority

Many of us underestimate the importance of a good night's rest, but it's crucial for long-term health that you give your body a proper amount of sleep each night. And if thinking long-term isn’t enough of an incentive, remember this: too little sleep can also impair weight loss efforts due to raised cortisol levels. Try and get around seven to eight hours a night on a regular basis.

5. Drink Excess Water

Our bodies are made mostly of water. Most fluids and foods contain water that will help to keep our bodies hydrated, but fresh, clean, plain water is still the best and healthiest beverage for maintaining a healthy body. It is the most natural cleanser for our organs and digestive system. Being hydrated is crucial for the brain as well as for helping to flush toxins out through the skin (perspiration) and urine.

6. Meditation

Meditation is used by people interested in addressing conditions such as anxiety, pain, depression, emotional problems, insomnia, and stress. Meditation is also the ultimate brain workout. Here's how to get started.

In India, there are many known and unknown spiritual gurus who offer many spiritual practices tot heir followers. Some of them are unknown to most of us but few Saints and Gurus got huge followers and known by many.

Some of the most famous Gurus are Baba Ram Dev who teaches his followers how Yoga can change your life and how you can cut out many life problems just by adding Yoga to your daily routine. Another most known spiritual guru is Saint. Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan he is kind of a multi-talented personality. He has many blind trusted followers who follow him like crazy, He talks about life and how one can achieve success in their life. He asked his followers to do meditation every day for a healthier life.

Find a place where you can sit comfortably, uninterrupted for about 20 minutes. The most important thing is to sit with your back as straight as possible. Some people find that sitting on the edge of a cushion helps keep the back straight.

You will hear about special meditation cushions, candles, incense, statues, bells, and so forth -- don't worry about any of that stuff. The important thing is to sit comfortably and to practice meditation often. You can add in accessories whenever you want.

7. Consistency and Moderation

In order to maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle, it's important to have some sort of consistency when looking at the big picture result.

Make changes one at a time, and don't make too many changes at once or you will risk relapsing into old habits.

Making these choices a part of your daily life will help you to reach your health goals. Avoid extremes in any capacity. Exercise moderation when it comes to fitness, food, and fun.

Give Importance to Health and Fitness and Get Success in Life

The benefits of exercise extend far beyond weight management. Research shows that regular physical activity can help reduce your risk for several diseases and health conditions and improve your overall quality of life.

Regular physical activity can help protect you from the following health problems.

- Reduce your risk of a heart attack

- Manage your weight better

- Have a lower blood cholesterol level

- Lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers

- Have lower blood pressure

- Have stronger bones, muscles and joints and lower risk of developing osteoporosis

- Lower your risk of falls

- Recover better from periods of hospitalization or bed rest

- Feel better – with more energy, a better mood, feel more relaxed and sleep better

A Healthier State of Mind

A number of studies have found that exercise helps depression. There are many views as to how exercise helps people with depression:

- Exercise may block negative thoughts or distract you from daily worries.

- Exercising with others provides an opportunity for increased social contact.

- Increased fitness may lift your mood and improve your sleep patterns.

- Exercise may also change levels of chemicals in your brains, such as serotonin, endorphins and stress hormones.

In India,  one famous spiritual leader Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh who encourage peoples to live a healthy lifestyle. Many people have accepted the health tips in their lifestyle prescribed by Revered Guruji which helps in preventing diseases.

Conclusion:

Exercise offers incredible benefits that can improve nearly every aspect of your health from the inside out.

Regular physical activity can increase the production of hormones that make you feel happier and help you sleep better.

It can also improve your skin's appearance, help you lose weight and keep it off, lessen the risk of chronic disease and improve your sex life.

Whether you practice a specific sport or follow the guideline of 150 minutes of activity per week, you will inevitably improve your health in many ways.