Too Much Sitting Hurts All of Us — Even Sports Fans?
The negative effects of too much sitting continue to get noticed.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Alan Hedge, a professor of ergonomics at Cornell University, confirms “For every half-hour working in an office, people should sit for 20 minutes, stand for eight minutes and then move around and stretch for two minutes.” This is “based on a review of studies that he has presented at corporate seminars and expects to publish.”
The post states: “The British Journal of Sports Medicine earlier this year published guidelines for sitting from an international panel of experts, including Dr. Hedge. The panel recommends a combined two to four hours of standing and light activity spread throughout the workday. And research from NASA has found that standing up for two minutes 16 times a day while at work is an effective strategy for maintaining bone and muscle density.”
More confirmation on the ills of sitting via the WSJ piece: “Studies have found that sedentary behavior, including sitting for extended periods, increases the risk for developing dozens of chronic conditions, from cancer and diabetes to cardiovascular disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.”
For a tongue -in-cheek look at this serious problem, see the Wall Street Journal sports reporter’s lament: “Sports Sitting Will Kill Us All: Amid a growing belief in the long-term health risks of sitting, what is a sports fan to do?”