The amount of time you sit or stand while going about your day may play as big a role in your overall health and waistline as your structured exercise and fitness routine. A recent study of the effects of physical inactivity indicated that four or more hours of uninterrupted sitting (e.g., working on a computer, talking on the phone, or reading) resulted in the shutdown of fat-burning enzymes in muscular blood vessels, as well as the stimulation of disease-promoting processes such as ineffective cholesterol metabolism. The research also suggests that exercising the recommended 30 minutes a day at least five days a week may not be sufficient to reverse the effects of too much physical "down time" throughout the day. Making a healthy difference in an otherwise sedentary lifestyle doesn't require squeezing an extra hour into your day, but can be accomplished simply by standing more while performing traditional nonphysical activities. You'll use twice as many calories as you will while sitting, and you'll keep your metabolism up all day.

Hamilton, M, T., Hamilton, D. G., & Zderic, T. W. (2007). Role of low energy expenditure and sitting in obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Diabetes 56(11), 2655.

Martha K. Raymond, RN, BSN