Why Sitting Can Be Bad For Your Health

You may want to stand up while you read this, because apparently sitting can be hazardous to your health.

Just like eating too much junk food or drinking too much alcohol, sitting for too long can be bad for you. Time magazine tells us that studies have shown that the more people sit, the more unhealthy their hearts can be.

So what can you do if your job requires you to stay behind a desk all day?

Not too big of a shocker here...you can exercise more or sit less.

Seems these same studies that tell us that sitting is bad for our health, say that the affects of sitting can be counterbalanced with more exercise. So even just one hour on a treadmill can cancel out an eight hour day behind a desk.

But if you're not an exercise person and are concerned about the amount of time you spend on your butt each day, you can simply try standing up. Or make sure you move when doing everyday things. Like walking to someone's office instead of calling them on the intercom, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or just fidgeting at your desk. The more movement

you get each day, the more your heart has to work!

As Dr. Jarett Berry at UT Southwestern Medical Center's study shows, sitting - regardless of the total amount of physical activity the people did - was linked to lower heart fitness. So even if you're working out for an hour three times a week, you've gotta keep yourself moving in some way, shape or form the other four days of the week too.

So I guess we just can't let ourselves get too comfortable wherever we are. Whether you sit at a desk all day or a couch all weekend, it's time to get off those butts and get ourselves moving!