It's NOT how active but how many hours a day you are active

iLoveMyPitbull1225

I mean obviously sitting at a desk all day isn't a "good" thing but for most people, that's just the way it is.

spoiledpuppies

I put together a standing desk for my office several months ago, and LOVE it. So at least I'm up all day. (I also use a high quality anti-fatigue mat.)

http://iamnotaprogrammer.com/Ikea-Standing-desk-for-22-dollars.html

leggup

Is this the study you're referring to?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3404815/ Title: Too Much Sitting: The Population-Health Science of Sedentary Behavior. Abstract: Even when adults meet physical activity guidelines, sitting for prolonged periods can compromise metabolic health.

or this?

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12170-008-0054-8#page-1 Title: too little exercise and too much sitting inactivity physiology and the need for new recommendations on sedentary behavior Abstract: ... recent epidemiologic evidence suggests that sitting time has deleterious cardiovascular and metabolic effects that are independent of whether adults meet physical activity guidelines

A lot of new research is coming out about how it doesn't matter if you hit the gym 1 hour a day every day if you spend the other 24 hours sitting and sleeping. This is relatively new research that has absolutely changed how I view my after work hours. Personally, I try to get up and get coffee/water/bathroom/walk to a coworker's office once an hour if I can. After work I used to plot in front of the tv from 5 pm - 9:30 pm. Now I'm trying to be more active, even if I've already gotten in my exercise for the day.

wkwebby

I have begun to hear about "these studies" that suggest that inactivity for the rest of the day can negate the health benefits of being active 30min-1hr per day. Here is one such link (sorry couldn't find the actual study)> http://www.runnersworld.com/health/sitting-is-the-new-smoking-even-for-runners.

However, even the article states that one minute of "not being seated" is better than a continuous seated position. I solve this by just literally getting up from my chair ever hour or so to stretch or just going to the bathroom. Drinking the loads of water throughout the day helps me not to be seated on my walk there.

Oh, and for any Jawbone UP users, an article said that for every two hours sitting it can even "cancel out the benefits" cardiovascularly of 1 hour at the gym. Losing weight is a whole other story and was not mentioned in that article.

csuhar

Has anyone run across studies on general activity over time vs sitting? I think the notion that you spent one or two hours at the gym and then can go back to your cubicle (couch or general lounging) and be considered "FIT" is starting to take a back seat to the concept that we need to spend as much time on our feet and moving doing anything over inactivity.

I could spend reasonabley 9 hours a day in a generally not seated active state but that's about it unless some technology changes that. Any thoughts?

Is it possible for you to cite the sources of information that have prompted you to think "the notion that you spent one or two hours at the gym and then can go back to your cubicle...and be considered "FIT" is starting to take a back seat to the concept that we need to spend as much time on our feet and moving..."?

In general, it would seem that incorporating more activity in your overall day would help with some issues, such as weight control. Your legs include some of the largest muscle groups in your body. Keeping them active by being on your feet and walking around would, logically, help burn more calories than simply sitting.

But I've not seen anything saying that it trumps dedicated exercise when it comes to overall fitness.

In my unit, there are people who spend most of their duty day on their feet and others who spend most of it sitting. Yet, when it comes time for our semiannual fitness tests or even real-world emergency responses and activities, the people who do better, regardless of if they're in the "on your feet" or the "sitting" group, are generally those that have a dedicated exercise time in their day.

prdavies1949

I'll be OK, I spend hours every day online but as it's MFP I'm logged on to its not a problem!

keefmac

I'm "lucky", on my feet all day (motorcycle mechanic), cycle to work and back (6 mile total). Still manage to put weight on though if I eat badly. If I had a desk job and drove to work god knows what my waste size would be (dead to think!).

Icandoityayme

I believe it's true. Our bodies were made for motion, not sitting all the time. That said, I just do my exercises and then what ever cleaning around the house I need to do and do my yard work and what not. While I am all about getting healthy, I am not fanatical about it. Life is too short. Slow or fast the weight will come off. I prefer happy over my head being stuck in weight loss space and not on life itself as a whole.

HelenWater

Yes. There are studies that show sitting for more than 30 minutes at any one time is not good, and sitting for more than a certain number of hours per day is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes. Sorry, I don't have the studies handy, but you can find them using a search engine.

I use a Polar Loop to tell me how much I sit each day (and other things) and it gives me a positive message if I don't sit for more than one hour at a time during the day and if I sit for less than eight hours in any one day.

The topic of sitting time is about health more than fitness or weight loss, and I believe it is related to how our bodies metabolise food.

cwolfman13

I have a desk job...and I'm pretty friggin' fit. Outside of the office I'm generally pretty active even without deliberate exercise, but I do sit most of the day at my desk...and like I said...I'm pretty friggin' fit.

SezxyStef

I have a desk job...and I'm pretty friggin' fit. Outside of the office I'm generally pretty active even without deliberate exercise, but I do sit most of the day at my desk...and like I said...I'm pretty friggin' fit.

Thank you...

I did google to see if I could find anything credible...mayoclinic had something but it was more about those who are currently not fit and overweight that this would benefit...

kynsie2

People have to sit at some point. I don't think we have to be active 16 hrs a day. The stress from that would be worse than sitting. Sit to eat, watch a movie to relax, do bills, go to the bathroom. Standing on your feet all day is not good either. Leg pains, sore feet, back ache etc.
I get up an sit for an hr or 2 then clean then sit for about an hr then walk a mile then sit awhile, then start all over again.
I think some things are taken to the extremes.
There's always new studies out and each year they revise what they said the year before.
If you aren't suppose to sit more than a couple hrs a day and if you do, it negates what ever you have done for the day, walking, biking, what ever then 90% of the population are not only in trouble, they are wasting their time getting out and doing anything.

husseycd

I have a standing desk at work (as well as the option to sit). I haven't noticed more calorie burns or anything, but I definitely prefer standing to sitting. Supposedly a woman my size burns an extra 20 calories or so standing vs. sitting. I do think when I sat all day, I got up and walked more, which I'm sure makes a bigger difference.

I do know that getting up and walking around makes a huge difference. According to my Bodymedia (which I do believe is pretty accurate), on days I'm truly sedentary, like actually sick, I only burn about 1800 calories/day. If I don't exercise, but I'm generally active, it's more like 2000 calories/day. That may not seem like much, but it's a pretty big difference for just doing normal day-to-day activities.

belgerian

Or if you sit you can get a excercise ball to sit on instead of the chair. You could rig up resistant bands to your desk and or your chair. I work maintaince so I can be as active as I choose or not choose I consistanly go up and down stairs walk try to limit my time at my desk. Almost time for my lunch hour run Or theres these

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--ny2xR6E8--/18kzxtpxz42b3jpg.jpg

http://www.lifespanfitness.com/tr800-dt7-treadmill-desk.html?gclid=CLzUmJym6L8CFQiFaQodn6MA9g

nxd10

There was a piece in the NYTimes a few months ago saying you should get up at least once an hour and move for 5 minutes to keep your metabolism functioning at a reasonable level. It was in a piece on standing desks.

nxd10

I LOVE sitting an exercise ball - and do at work. After weight loss it took inches and inches off everywhere I needed it and improved my posture unbelievably. I didn't even use the seatback in my car any more.

JennetteMac

what's your job to be able to spend 9 hours a day not sitting?

Let's see...

Waitress
Cashier
Salesperson
Post office
Carpenter / Electrician / Mason / plumber
Medical Professional
Teacher (usually, most of my teachers stood for all of the class period)
Bartender
Cook / Kitchen worker
Gas station attendant (busy station of course)
Meter maid
Road construction worker
Fitness / sports instructor
Police officer - depending on patrol type

You mirrored my thoughts!

mayfrayy

false.
to a certain extent.

mike_ny

Get a stand up desk is you can (just raising the keyboard, mouse, & monitor will do it). I started doing that a couple years ago and once I found out that I had more energy throughout the day and afterwards by not sitting all day, I was hooked. Standing most of the day also burns somewhere around 200+ calories over sitting all day, and that besides any metabolism benefits.

My co-workers gave me a good ribbing at first, but then they got used to it and after noticing me dropping weight (for various reasons), they started looking at it more positively, but most were reluctant to ever do it themselves.

The woman from HR noticed it one day and looked at me strange and asked me about why I was doing it. Ironically she had sent out a newsletter just a couple weeks before encouraging people to sit less. I guess she never bothers to read the canned health information newsletters she sends out to everyone.

If a standing workstation is just not an option, get up when you can. Talking on the phone, reading, and many other activities are fine while standing.

If your building has more than one floor, then use the stairs as often as you can. If you work on the first floor, use the restroom and coffee machine on the second floor. That'll add several flights of stairs into a normally low activity day.

mike_ny

Most people. Have no idea how many total hours they spend sitting. Adding up eating, driving/commuting, sitting at a desk, reading, watching TV, and everything else one usually does while sitting really adds up. A typical person with a desk job and a 30 minute commute who watches a few hours of TV on an average day can spend around 15-16 hours sitting. When you figure the 6-8 hours for lying down for sleeping, that's only maybe 1-2 hours left for standing or being active.

Take a day and add up your time sitting. You'll be shocked how it adds up.

I work at a stand up desk and do most of my reading at the island in the kitchen. I also watch very little TV. Back when I sat all day and always sat to read, I was sitting at least 12 hours a day. Now, I sit at most about 4 hours a day and more often maybe 3.