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

KatMicNYC
KatMicNYC Posts: 20 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
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?
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Replies

  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    If it's bad, hell, I'm screwed. When I'm not in the gym, I'm on my *kitten*, doing nothing.
  • IamMCM
    IamMCM Posts: 122
    I sure hope that's not a fact. My job requires me to be tied to my computer for a good chunk of the day, although I do break it up with dog walks. My main exercise is the big bursts at the gym but there's no way I can be off my butt for the majority of the day, or at least not if I want to eat and pay my bills.
  • phil6707
    phil6707 Posts: 541 Member
    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?

    what's your job to be able to spend 9 hours a day not sitting?
  • VeganAmandaJ
    VeganAmandaJ Posts: 234 Member
    I think that makes sense which is why I try to stand at work most of the time (I interpret video phone calls in sign language so typically I stand in one spot but take short breaks and sit throughout the hours) and move around whenever I can. There's a website called juststand.org with some intriguing figures on how sitting is bad for us and I believe it. I do think obviously it's better to be active in the gym for an hour or two and be sedentary for the rest of the day as opposed to being sedentary all day.
    I will say being more active in the gym has helped me be and want to be more active outside it too.
  • KatMicNYC
    KatMicNYC Posts: 20 Member
    Not all days but many days I can walk around and do conference calls with my headset, stand and actually work at the computer, (I've been bugging HR for standing setup) walk to meetings, stand on the train, walk to the train and back etc, waiting for train, I walk back and forth. I sit for a while and when I feel like I'm sinking into may chair I get up, I'm just fidgety type of person. I have this colleague she runs 3 plus miles a day yet when she's at her desk she never seems to get up the entire day it's kind of fascinating. I'm totally guilty of just sitting for an hour watching some mindless TV show, also napping on the weekends after I work out I do but I try to just move somehow when I can. The worst things are those endless Netflix series that suck you in. Stay away from that stuff.
  • theCaityCat
    theCaityCat Posts: 84 Member
    One's job definitely makes a difference. I am a school speech therapist. During the school year, I'm on my feet much of the day, switching from table to whiteboard, walking in and out of classrooms, cleaning up and preparing for my next group of students, grabbing things off of shelves, etc. I don't get all that much desk time.
  • spectralmoon
    spectralmoon Posts: 1,179 Member
    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?

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

    I'm not the OP, but I'm on my feet all day as an embalmer. I get no sit-time unless I'm at lunch.

    I think the strenuousness (might not be the right word... ESL) of the exercise might play more into how often one is on their feet vs. the chair.
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
    what's your job to be able to spend 9 hours a day not sitting?
    I don't know about the OP, but I'm a computer programmer and I stand to work. I don't think it's much more active than sitting, but my legs sure feel tired at the end of the day. The next step is to get one of those treadmill desks, or something.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    I teach preschool. I am truthfully constantly moving for nine hours. Running, playing, lifting, climbing, getting up and down from the floor, getting up and down from child-sized chairs, walking up and down a huge staircase several times a day, walking back and forth across an enormous building many times a day, long nature walks, guiding active play and physical games, etc etc.

    I always thought it would be enough to keep the weight down, with one or two days of 'real' exercise a week in addition. Boy, was I wrong! I gained 40 pounds less than ten years. Of course, my age and changing metabolism had a lot to do with it. But for me, I have to actively watch what I'm eating and make a conscious effort to exercise. The job is just not enough.
  • kpierson1987
    kpierson1987 Posts: 33 Member
    I am a Registered Nurse and 3 days a week I work 12 hour shifts and really get almost no to very little sit down time. Usually as soon as I sit down to chart I am getting a call to be somewhere and sometimes I have to take my 30 minute lunch break in bits and pieces.

    When I am at home I tend to my 9 month old and for some reason he doesn't like me sitting much at all. I don't think I really sit still for even a whole hour at home until the very end of the night right before I go to bed, but I usually am up doing something...

    I never really thought about this topic before though lol, so now that I do its kinda neat to realize how active I really am outside of real exercising.
  • tracybilal
    tracybilal Posts: 51 Member
    Well im active the entire day from 6am to about 9 pm.
    Get breakfast ready for hubby and 4 year old daughter, drop hubby to work ,kid to school, hit the gym , get back home cook then bathe. Before i know it its time to get my daughter back from school.she gets off at 1pm.
    Give her lunch, change her help her in getting her homework done. Go to get my hubby from work at 5-6 pm after i get home im in the kitchen getting ready for dinner. By the time im all done and put my kid to bed its almost 9.
    And amoung all this i also have a 9 month old baby girl tht i have to take care of too.
    Im on my feet most of the day and yet my weight doesnot budge in the downward direction.
  • MarlaVSings
    MarlaVSings Posts: 66 Member
    Just speaking from personal experience here. I currently work a desk job, but before I got my degree I was a waitress. I can tell you having a sedentary job makes losing weight much more difficult. Now that I am at a desk all day long I really have to be on the ball as far as calorie counts. As a waitress, it was much easier for me to underestimate my caloric expenditure. If I had a cheat meal, it really didn't affect me. I lost weight with minimal effort because of how many calories I burned at work (walking at a moderate pace for ~ 6hours of my shift, 5 days a week). I used to be able to grab a burger and ice cream after work and still manage to lose.

    Now, I am having difficulty losing weight and keep regaining. I guess I am used to the "buffer zone" I had when I worked a more active job. But the reality is not only do I have to be strict with diet and exercise, but if I have a cheat meal, or an unplanned meal, it knocks me back to a much higher degree than before. This is really hard for me to stick to, hence, the yo-yoing in my weight.

    I was successful in losing weight and getting fit a few years ago, even working a desk job. But in order to do so, I was working with a personal trainer 3-4 times a week, went to the gym 4x/week, and also did a few hours long bike ride a couple times a month. And I was very strict in my caloric intake. It's a much more concerted effort, you have to actively think about losing weight and plan, as opposed to waitressing where the activity and calories burned was built into my day.
  • kimberlyblindsey
    kimberlyblindsey Posts: 266 Member
    Hmmmm, interesting, idk, but I think starting back to the classroom this year with a Fit Bit might change how many times I navigate down up and down the aisles in a 51 min. period, Hell, I might even jog it, lol, no that would just be weird, but might have to implement some jumping jacks and burpees in between reading and writing, bahaha!
  • melwoods
    melwoods Posts: 6 Member
    I believe it's true to a degree. I have a hard time eating enough to keep on weight. I do exercise vigorously, but that's an hour a day compared to the 5 children I chase after all day, including many hours of standing.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member


    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
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    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?

    Define Fit...

    Good numbers for BP, HR, blood work? Ability to do physical activity without much effort?

    I have a desk job...and workout usually 30-1hour a day M-F...rest of the time I could be sitting, walking around in the office to get water, bathroom break, at home cooking meal, tidying the house etc...

    The only difference for me from when I was "fat" to now...is the purposeful exercise and the calorie deficit of course.

    But to be frank I am more fit than my husband who spends a great deal of time on his feet at work...he admits it...he gets winded walking at my speed, legs get sore...he can lift what I can but doesn't like to...

    So I don't really agree...

    Purposeful exercise makes you fit...and I think that because you are more likely to put more effort into it than just casual everyday tasks...you make that 45mins to an hour really count.

    Jobs not sitting...well there are lots of those and always will be. Out of the 3 adults in my house I am the only one who sits at my job...out of my family of 16 (in laws included) less than half have sitting jobs...about 5 of us...
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    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?

    Ergonomic issues aside, This is also one reason why these are becoming pretty popular.

    HiHi-Lo.jpg

    I also read a paper once (i dont feel like Googling it to reference) that stated that the number of calories burned playing Wii was not significantly more than if you played xbox, but just played it.......standing up.

    So if youre on your butt in a cubicle all day and are looking to burn a few more calories, try getting or transforming it into a standing workstation area.
  • chubby_checkers
    chubby_checkers Posts: 2,352 Member
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo

    The above video is kind of long, but talks about the health benefits (not weight loss) of walking 30 minutes a day.
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
    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?

    I think you are right. Well I don't spend time in a gym on a regular basis (no gym membership), I do spend time of fitness routines, walking, cycling and hiking. When I'm not actively engaged in a fitness activity, I am still quite active. I have that luxury though. Others do not depending on their job where they may be forced to sit for extended periods of time.
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
    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?

    I get where your going with your thought but you need to look into the benefits of resting.
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,690 Member
    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
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
    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
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    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
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    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
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
    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
    prdavies1949 Posts: 323 Member
    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
    keefmac Posts: 313 Member
    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
    Icandoityayme Posts: 312 Member
    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
    HelenWater Posts: 232 Member
    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
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    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.

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