Think about how much sitting you do in a day: sitting on the train on your way to work or sitting in the car for your commute, sitting at your 8-hour desk job, sitting during your 1-hour lunch break, sitting on the commute home, and sitting on the couch after a long day of work to unwind with some television.
With advances in technology and transportation, many of us are unfortunately sitting around most of the day and have very little to no exercise or activity. Even leisure time used to involve more activity, but today much of it is sedentary; scrolling through instagram, watching TV, playing video games, and the like.
In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even reports that more than 15% of American adults are physically inactive. And with research showing a link between long periods of sitting and serious diseases, you need to make sure you're moving.
Here are a few common questions about sedentary living to help you better understand what it is, as well as practical solutions for you to incorporate on a daily basis.
First, what is considered a sedentary lifestyle?
According to the Sedentary Behavior Research Network, a sedentary behavior involves any time a person is sitting or lying down (i.e.: watching TV, computer use, driving a car, reading). An accumulation of sedentary behavior over the course of the day, specifically for six hours or more, and not meeting the recommended physical activity guidelines (more on that later) can lead to a sedentary lifestyle. Recent studies suggests that having a high level of sedentary behavior can negatively impact health, independent of other factors including body weight and dietary habits.
What are the health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle?
Research has documented higher rates of various chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and even cancer, in highly sedentary people. According to the World Health Organization, 60-85% of people in the world lead sedentary lifestyles, which makes this a very serious public health concern.
And just like the rest of your body, your brain depends on good blood flow to function properly. A study from 2013, which included almost 9,000 women, found that those who were physically inactive and sat for seven hours or more per day were three times as likely to have symptoms of depression than individuals who met the physical activity guidelines and sat for less than four hours daily.
Even scarier: A study from the American Cancer Society found that prolonged sitting time (six or more hours a day) was associated with a 19% higher rate of death from all causes combined compared to sitting less than 3 hours per day. Even a small effort to stay active throughout the day can have benefits.
What are some solutions to fix a sedentary lifestyle?
Of course technology and advancements today have made our lives easier, but they have also led to inactivity. Try to focus on a whole-day approach to activity and maximizing your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (also known as NEAT). NEAT includes the energy expended for everything you do that does not involve sleeping or formal exercise.
Activities that qualify as NEAT include walking to work, gardening, fidgeting, cleaning, parking the car a bit farther away from the store, and so on. Even though these activities may seem trivial, they can substantially increase your metabolic rate throughout the day and culminate to a decent amount of activity.
Here are a few solutions to help maximize your NEAT throughout the day and keep yourself active:
At work
- Standing rather than sitting on the subway or train
- Ask for or invest in a standing desk or set up shop on a tall countertop
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Stand up while talking on the phone
- Walk for at least 30 minutes outside (weather permitting) or around the building during your lunch break
- End the day with a 10-20 minute brisk walk around the building
- Walk to a colleague's office instead of sending an email
- Have a walking or standing meeting with coworkers instead of sitting in a conference room
- Get up and stretch or take a quick walk every hour on the hour
At home
- Stand and fold laundry while watching TV
- Tidy up around the house, you'd be surprised the calorie burn!
- Stand or pace around the house while you're talking on the phone
- Play with your pets and go for an extra walk or two
- Park a bit farther away to get a few more steps in and avoid the parking madness
- Take a dance break! Put on your favorite music and get moving
How much physical activity should I be getting in a day?
The American Heart Association recommends getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity. A combination of both is preferred, especially if spread throughout the week. An hour or even a half hour of exercise can seem daunting, and you can certainly break up your activity throughout the day, but aim for no less than 10 minutes at a time: try 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes before lunch, and 10 minutes in the evening to get a total of 30 minutes.
Stefani (she/her) is a registered dietitian, a NASM-certified personal trainer and the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab, where she handles all nutrition-related content, testing and evaluation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in clinical nutrition from NYU. She is also Good Housekeeping’s on-staff fitness and exercise expert. Stefani is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living. She is an avid CrossFitter and a passionate home cook who loves spending time with her big fit Greek family.
