SITTING IS THE NEW SMOKING
“Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.
The chair is out to kill us.”
James Levine
Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic
November 2017
Exercise Does Not Negate Extended Periods of Sitting
The cure for too much sitting isn’t more exercise. Exercise is good, of course, but the average person could never do enough to counteract the effect of hours and hours of chair time. One hour of exercise can't offset 10 hours of stillness.
After 30 minutes of sitting:
  • The enzymes that move bad fat from your arteries to your muscles, where it can get burned off, slow down
  • The muscles in your lower body are turned off
After 2 hours of sitting:
  • Good cholesterol drops 20%
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SITTING TOO LONG
Obesity

You burn 50 calories more per hour standing. Standing 3 hours a day, 5 days a week can burn up to 30,000 calories a year, almost 9 lbs.

Back, Neck, Sciatic Pain

Researchers at Cornell University found that up to 90% more pressure is applied to your lower back when you sit vs. when you stand.

Cancer

An estimated 173,000 cases of cancer in the U.S. are due to inactivity, with 49,000 cases of breast cancer and 43,000 cases of colon cancer.

Cardiovascular Disease

23 hours a week of sedentary activity in men increased their chances of dying from heart disease by 64 percent compared to those who reported less than 11 hours per week.

Type 2 Diabetes

People who took the most breaks from sitting had a reduced triglyceride count. A higher triglyceride count is associated with an increased risk of diabetes.

Shortens Your Lifespan

Researchers discovered that women who sat more than 6 hours a day were at a 37 percent increased risk of an early death, compared to women who sat less than 3 hours.

HOW TO DEVELOP A MOVEMENT-BASED LIFESTYLE
The goal is to minimize sitting, especially continuous sitting, and follow a regular exercise program. When you’re at work, there are a lot of things you can do to keep moving:
H20
DRINK MORE WATER
Besides being a good habit, it will make you walk to the bathroom often.
DON'T EMAIL
Go to a colleague’s desk if you have a question instead of sending them an email.
WALK MORE
Instead of sitdown meetings, try to have walking meetings.
SET ALARMS
Set an alarm on your phone or computer to stand or move every 20 minutes.
PARK FURTHER
Parking further from the entrance will make sure you get to walk some distance.
WALK TO YOUR FLOOR
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
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