Exercise not enough?

bcattoes

Awesome. Another article saying that my job is killing me, even if I exercise.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_134467.html

New research suggests that as time spent sitting goes up, so does a person's odds for type 2 diabetes.

Telling people to avoid sitting might even be more effective in staving off diabetes than exhorting them to exercise more, the British researchers said.

Patients are typically advised to do moderate-to-vigorous exercise for at least 150 minutes a week to stay fit and avoid obesity and diabetes. But the findings from two studies suggest that reducing sitting time by 90 minutes a day could provide important health benefits.

I've had the job for 30 years and haven't developed diabetes, or any other diseases, but this kind of thing still worries me. I really should just stop readign this stuff. Maybe ignorance is bliss as long as you are vain enough not to get fat.

DebbieLyn63

I can certainly understand the opinion that moving around moderately for 90 minutes a day, rather than sitting during that time, is more beneficial than spending 30 minutes on the treadmill 5 days a week, then sitting on your butt the rest of the day.

I have found this to be true for myself. I can wear myself out on the bike for an hour, then be too tired to do anything else the rest of the day, do this for 5-6 days a week and find I am not losing anymore weight, or even as much weight as if I exercise moderately for 3 days a week, then move more thru out the rest of the day. I will end up burning more calories throughout the week this way, and get a lot more accomplished around the house as a bonus.

ETA I am sure that the Diabetes risk comes from being overweight in this example. Inactivity can contribute to weight gain.

Mokey41

How many people sit all day at a desk and then come home to flop down on the couch for another 4 hours of TV time? I think that would have a bigger impact than the 8 hours a day at a desk job where you probably get up and down occasionally and are engaged with things instead of vegetating at night.

Duck_Puddle

I would be more curious to look at the other behaviors of the sitter vs non-sitters. Like do people that are up and about for longer during the day eat less/better because of some psychological connection or because they aren't in a place where it's convenient to eat? Or do they then carry over that less sitting to time at home? I realize the non sitters were doing 150 min of "moderate" activity-but 1/2 hr per day of a stroll around the block (which some define as "moderate") is better than nothing, but I would hazard a guess that it's not as good as generally adopting a more active lifestyle 24/7.

bcattoes

How many people sit all day at a desk and then come home to flop down on the couch for another 4 hours of TV time? I think that would have a bigger impact than the 8 hours a day at a desk job where you probably get up and down occasionally and are engaged with things instead of vegetating at night.

Not necessarily in front of the TV, but when I gained it weight it was from doing this very thing. Sit in the car going to work, sit at work (desk job) all day except for bathroom/kitchen trips, sit in car coming home from work, sit on porch and discuss the day with my husband, cook dinner (standing), sit and eat, sit and watch TV or read. Go to bed. That was pretty much it 5 days a week.

Then I decided I was fat. Same scenario, except 45-60 min of exercise most days before sitting to discuss the day. I read a similar study to this last year and began doing 10-15 min of low impact movement on my breaks and/or lunch, but I still sit a lot. My sister says I'm like a greyhound. I'm either going full speed, or I'm not going at all.

JenMc14

Nutrition also plays a big role. If you're sitting at a desk all day then eating 3000 calories, then yes, that's bad. If you sit at a desk all day, do exercise and eat a healthy diet, you won't gain weight, and you likely won't develope Type II diabetes, either.

bcattoes

Nutrition also plays a big role. If you're sitting at a desk all day then eating 3000 calories, then yes, that's bad. If you sit at a desk all day, do exercise and eat a healthy diet, you won't gain weight, and you likely won't develope Type II diabetes, either.

I agree that nutrition and calories matter, but this study compensated for the amount of time spent exercising and the amount of body fat. Obesity is not the only cause of diabetes. Thin people get it too.

DebbieLyn63

If you are very sedentary, and your TDEE is only 1600-1800 and you eat 2000 cals a day, that is a 20-40 pound weight gain in one year. It is very easy to do, especially if you go from being more active thru out the day, to a desk job, or injury that immobilizes you for many months. Do this for 5 years and that is 100-200 pound weight gain. And most certainly a high risk for diabetes.

ETA- so yeah, diet makes a huge difference.

DebbieLyn63

Perhaps I need to read the whole article, as I have no idea how sitting would increase risk of diabetes when you remove the over weight factor. hmmm