Hey You, Get Out Of Your Chair!
By Fitsmi December 15


Before you curl up in your favorite armchair, ask yourself this: How many hours have I spent sitting down today? It might sound like a weird question, but sitting–especially for hours at a time–really takes a toll on your body.

Not only does sitting increase your risk of heart disease and contracting diabetes, it also makes it harder for your body to burn fat. According to ThatsFit.com, “Parking yourself on the couch, or in your office chair, for the day negatively affect your body’s ability to work off calories by shutting down the enzymes responsible for burning fat. What’s more, sitting for longer periods without getting up can also lower HDL, or good, cholesterol and lead to a slower metabolism.”

And that’s not even the worst of it. Studies show that even 30 minutes of exercise a day may not be enough to counteract the effects of sitting for 8 - 10 hours at a time. Genevieve Healy, Ph.D., a researcher at the Cancer Prevention Research Centre of the University of Queensland in Australia found that those who take breaks from sitting have lower BMIs and healthier blood sugar than those who don’t, regardless of physical activity.

Although long periods of sitting is generally worse for adults who sit at a desk all day, teens are also spending a lot of time with their butts planted firmly. School alone is about five or six hours of sitting with breaks roughly every hour, depending on your class schedule. At home, activities like watching your favorite show or checking your MySpace can suck you into the seat for hours at a time.

So, how do you combat chronic sitting? Find an excuse to get out of your seat. We’re not saying you should ask for the bathroom pass to avoid a pop quiz, but you could suggest setting aside five minutes for everyone to stretch and re-charge halfway through class (your health teacher might even give you extra credit for that idea!)

It’s really a matter of getting yourself moving whenever you can. Walk around while you’re on the phone with your BFF instead of laying on the bed or sitting behind the computer. Go to the mall instead of watching that marathon of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and take the stairs instead of the escalator while you’re there. Do five jumping jacks whenever someone says your name. Think outside the box!

Photo by: mysticchildz