Are you An Active Couch Potato ??

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The "Active Couch Potato" - Why Prolonged Sitting is Hazardous To Your Health

Health researchers have been warning us for some time now about the metabolic and health risks of too much sitting. In fact, this made front page headlines last year when British research identified an association between sitting time and... DEATH!

The latest research has added a new twist: Experts are now saying that too much time spent sitting is an independent risk factor for obesity and metabolic health problems separate and distinct from getting too little exercise.

Physiologically, there are distinct effects between prolonged sedentary time and too little exercise time. For example, research has shown that chronic unbroken periods of muscular unloading associated with prolonged sedentary time can have negative biological consequences.

Even though there are very low levels of calorie expenditure from standing still, standing elicits electromyographic and hormonal changes. Physiologically, it has been suggested that that loss of local muscle contractual stimulation due to sitting leads to suppression of skeletal muscle lipo protein lipase activity and glucose uptake.

By contrast, the mere act of standing involves isometric contraction of the anti gravity (postural) muscles. Yet in the past, standing still would have been called "sedentary" behavior. NASA has done extensive zero gravity research showing the metabolic consequences of extreme muscular unloading and there are interesting parallels being drawn here.

There's another new wrinkle in the story: The latest research also suggests that you could meet what is considered an ideal guideline for physical activity, but if you also sit for prolonged periods, there could still be negative consequences. In other words, your formal workouts may not undo some of the negative consequences of long periods of sitting.

They have actually created a name for this phenomenon - "THE ACTIVE COUCH POTATO"

An example is the person who jogs or bikes to and from work, but who sits all day long at his job for 8 or more hours and then spends several hours watching TV or surfing the internet in the evening.

One study found a strong association between metabolic risk and TV watching time even when physical activity was 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous exercise! They also suggested that this association may be stronger in women than in men.

Because these types of studies only show associations, it's very difficult to say with certainly that too much sitting specifically causes adverse health consequences. However, better scientific measurement with tools such as accelerometers has given us more insights than the older studies that were based only on surveys of self-reported TV and sitting time.

It is also very difficult and always has been, for health organizations to make broad physical activity guidelines for the entire general population.

Nevertheless, the latest research is pushing fitness experts and public health officials to send more messages that include not just guidelines on how much and what kind of formal exercise to do, but also to specifically reduce sedentary behaviors like TV watching and computer time.

They're also calling for a distinction between too much sedentary time (particularly sitting) and too little exercise. In particular, they're recommending that you break up sitting time whenever that's possible.

Researchers in the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study found beneficial associations in metabolic risk markers just from the presence of breaks in sedentary time. That could include a simple transition from sitting to standing or from standing still to starting to walk. They also found an association between a higher number of breaks in sitting time and beneficial changes in waist circumference, BMI, triglycerides and blood glucose.

When news reports hit the media previously about the sitting - obesity - health connection, some people shrugged it off as common sense. However, I think the idea that you might be an "active couch potato" is not something to shrug off at all, because unless you work out formally as well as hold a physically-active job, this includes the majority of fitness-conscious people in our modern, technologically-based society today.

Many people work out diligently at least a few days per week, but they sit behind a desk for 8 hours without more than a lunch and bathroom break or two, and then when they get home, it's straight for the couch/TV or the computer/internet.

A strong focus on nutrition and portion control can ensure weight loss despite a low activity level, but according to these latest findings, a minimalist workout program may not be enough to overcome all the negative health effects of an otherwise sedentary lifestyle.

Many people have responded to this latest health news with exasperation because they feel trapped by virtue of their 9 to 5 desk jobs. We are a knowledge and technology based society today and we're not going backwards to a predominantly labor-based society any time in the near future.

1. Do what the Australian researchers suggested: When you can't avoid long stretches of sedentary time due to a desk job, break up that sitting time as much as possible. Stand more if you can, get up out of your chair at regular intervals and walk around at every opportunity.

2. Continue with your diligent formal training programs, but take a closer look at how you spend your leisure time. Take a portion of your sedentary leisure time, particularly TV and web surfing, and replace it with active but fun leisure activities like sports, recreation, house or garden work, hobby work and walking.

3. Think about physical activity beyond the gym. Think constantly about how you can move more and live a more active lifestyle - every single day.

These may seem like little details, but sometimes the little things DO matter, and sometimes, the little things add up and matter the most.