Sitting Down: It’s an Epidemic

Ny Paul Parkinson, Director, Finance

No matter what your intentions are, it can be difficult to avoid sitting.

We sit during morning and evening commutes, while attending meetings and sending emails, and at home to relax or socialize. But even if your job keeps you tied to a desk most of the day, it’s important to keep moving—a sedentary lifestyle has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, poor circulation, loss of muscle and hypertension and other health risks. Even worse, people who sit the majority of each day are at increased risk even if they exercise in the evening!

But that all sounds a little bleak. Let’s stay motivated by focusing on the positive. You’ll see huge health benefits when consistent activity is part of your daily routine!

  1. Exercise makes you less grouchy by releasing mood-enhancing endorphins into your bloodstream.
  2. You boost your energy level all day long by sending more oxygen and nutrients to your muscle tissues and enhancing your cardiovascular endurance.
  3. You sharpen your focus and improve your memory. Exercise sends more oxygen to your brain than sitting around. In turn, that oxygen boosts production of cells in the hippocampus, aiding your ability to retain information.
  4. Lose weight by simply adding steps or activity minutes to your day. Frequent short walks are a great complement to a balanced diet and high-intensity workouts, which can be more sporadic.
    But that all sounds a little bleak. Let’s stay motivated by focusing on the positive. You’ll see huge health benefits when consistent activity is part of your daily routine!
  5. Exercise reduces stress by increasing the amount of norepinephrine in your body, a chemical that helps moderate your brain’s response to stress and difficult situations. (It’s also a hard word to say three times fast.)

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