Sitting Is The New Smoking
I wanted a glass of water. So, I asked my wife to get my cup for me (I said, “please”). She replied, “Get it yourself, I just sat down!” My reply, “Sitting is the New Smoking”.
That’s right, the simple act of sitting is the latest thing that is going to kill us. Pretty soon the only things that won’t kill us is smiling and unbuttered popcorn. I digress.
We humans weren’t made to be sitters. Our bodies are meant to move. I’m not talking about marathons or stuff like that, but we need to be bipedal (up on two feet).
Here’s what happens when we stay on our bums for an extended period of time. Our risk of high blood pressure goes up. Our risk for heart disease increases, as does our chances of getting diabetes and cancer.
It is thought that the real culprit is inactive muscle. Inactive muscles don’t burn fat or use blood sugar (Heart disease/diabetes) and don’t deliver as much oxygen and nutrients to our brains (fuzzy thinking/mood disorders).
As an interesting/scary side note, regular exercise doesn’t help. By that I mean active people tend to sit as much as their less active counterparts.
The best thing to do is get up and move. Don’t sit for prolonged periods of time. Walk around the office or hold walking meetings. Some people have resorted to standing desks and even treadmill desks.
We need to be moving, but don’t overdo the standing or pretty soon, standing will be the new sitting because we now know sitting is the new smoking!
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About the author
Dwayne Wimmer founded Vertex Fitness Personal Training Studio in 2001, excited to bring a new concept about personal training to the people of Philadelphia’s Main Line in Pennsylvania. Driven by knowledge and results both, while a strength coach at Villanova University, he worked closely with world class athletes such as Brian Westbrook, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, on strength training and conditioning for optimal performance. Dwayne’s client base extends much further than world class athletes. Along with athletes, he works with adolescents to seniors, and he’s a highly acclaimed and sought out personal trainer who has received numerous awards, such as Best of the Main Line Personal Training Studio and Best Main Line Personal Trainer. A graduate of Missouri Western State University, Dwayne has a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education, with an emphasis in Coaching. Aside from personal training, he’s spent time as a physical education teacher, strength and conditioning coach, and a football coach, but has found his passion and home in the fitness industry, inspiring and reaching out to others. As a strong believer in continuing to learn, Dwayne has also taken classes at East Stroudsburg University toward a Masters Degree in Sports Management. He can add author to his list of accomplishments, having created a chapter in the upcoming book The Soul of Success with Jack Canfield, renowned for the Chicken Soup series. To get to the point where he is now, Dwayne has always been thankful for the support of his father, a man who always believed in his mission and saw the need for what it was that Dwayne envisioned. During his free time, Dwayne is an avid motorcyclist who enjoys viewing the amazing landscapes and finding good restaurants to enjoy that are off the beaten path. He also takes advantage of opportunities to travel and experience many other cities while attending fitness seminars and giving presentations about the industry he is so passionate about. As a way to give back to the community that has been a part of his entire life, Dwayne has created Vertex Fitness PUMPED (People United Making Progress through Education and Donations), which provides support to area non-profits through a community-wide outreach effort. At this time, they help three non-profits per year in the Philadelphia area. For more information from Dwayne, you may contact him at (610) 525-6604, dwayne@vertexfit.com