Are You Sitting Too Much?

We sit more than ever today, and it’s not the same as being inactive. See why it matters and how you can move more every day.

- Hope Warshaw

Studies have shown that people who fidget, burn about 350 more calories per day than people who do not.

You know how cigarette packs carry health-hazard warnings? Well, some experts suggest that TVs, computers, smartphones and tablets should be emblazoned with this: “Sedentary behaviour experienced using this device can cause an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and related health problems.”

But what exactly does sedentary behaviour mean? “It is simply all the activities you do when you’re awake in a sitting or reclined position,” says Dr Dale Bond, associate professor of psychiatry and human behaviour at the Brown University Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center in Rhode Island, US. He says that sedentary behaviour occurs anytime a person expends a low level of energy and burns minimal calories.

But being sedentary is not the same as being inactive. You can meet your daily activity goals but also be highly sedentary, says Bond.

In other words, reducing sitting time is the third type of activity to incorporate into your daily life. The other two are aerobic exercise and resistance training. Research shows that regularly hitting these three goals is well worth the effort when it comes to your health.

What We Know

Evidence of the perilous and harmful effects of sedentary behaviour began in the 1950s, when researchers found that men in physically active jobs experienced less heart disease when they became middle-aged, says Dr Len Kravitz, associate professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, US.