Pamela Hsieh Rehab Revolution |
SSTattler: Re-published from Jan 18/2014 - [Guest Article] Sitting on a Heart Attack.
Debbie is Pamela's personal trainer.
So many Americans today spend eight to 10 hours of their day working. While we are fortunate enough to have jobs, we are unfortunate to be participating all day in an activity which is one of the single most independent risk factors for heart attacks: sitting.
In a recent study at the Pennington Biomechanical Research Center in Louisiana, the lifestyles of over 17,000 men and women were analyzed. The research showed that those individuals who sat most of the day were 54% more likely to die from a heart attack.
This study, however, is not the only study that has such conclusive data. Research on sedentary lifestyle due to seated working conditions dates back to 1953, when a study was conducted on bus drivers. The study proved that those who performed the job of a bus driver (seated) were twice more likely to have a heart attack than trolley operators (standing).
The people participating in this study are not categorized into people who live a healthy lifestyle. Some of them were smokers, and some of them were not. Some of them regularly exercised, and some of them did not. This means that sitting at work is an independent risk factor for heart attacks.
If we didn’t think that was bad enough, there several other health issues that are a result of sitting at work all day. These issues are:
- Poor Posture -- The fascia in the muscle tissues begins to set when you sit in one position for an extended period of time. When sitting at a desk and leaning over a keyboard for hours at a time, your body retains that posture.
- Causes Weight Gain -- It is already known that standing burns 60 more calories per hour than sitting. In addition, while you are seated, your gluteal muscles are deactivated, and gluteal amnesia sets in. This essentially means you are burning fewer calories, which promotes weight gain.
- Causes Lower Back Pain -- Weak glutes tend to push the pelvis forward. This consequently puts stress on the spine. It also causes the belly to protrude, therefore making you appear more overweight.
- Take at least two breaks per hour -- This can be just to grab a drink at the fountain or to stand up and stretch your legs. If you find yourself forgetting, set a timer.
- Stand during phone calls -- Think of how much time you spend on the phone at work. Burn 60 more calories per hour of phone time by standing up on that next conference call, or better yet, pace in your office.
- Replace your office chair -- If we spend most of our workday sitting, the best thing to do is to make the most of this sedentary activity. Instead of sitting on an office chair, using little or no core muscles as you type away at your computer, replace that chair with a stability ball. Just sitting on a stability ball helps promote good posture, while activating your core muscles. This will not only minimize lower back pain due to sitting, but it will burn calories while you work.
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