OK, I am not holding back. I am going to give it to you in pretty straight-forward terms here. No more Dr. Nice Guy.
Your INACTIVITY IS SLOWLY KILLING YOU.
I hate to be dramatic here, but it’s true and I feel like brute honesty is my last resort.
I like to call sedentary lifestyle our new smoking.
“Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.” – Unknown source
“Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.” – Unknown source
Medicine is the sister art to physical exercise.
Plato 400BC
As a Preventive Cardiologist, I put sedentary lifestyle as one of your biggest cardiovascular risks and I put daily exercise as the number ONE thing you can do to give you the best shot at health aging.
Do you want to live a sedentary lifestyle or an active lifestyle? Do you want to age gracefully, travel, spend quality time with the grandkids and minimize doctor visits, medications and hospitalizations?
Basic Terms to Know
Healthspan: The period of life spent in good health, free from the chronic diseases and disabilities of aging.
Healthy Longevity: The years in good health approach the biological life span, with physical, cognitive and social functioning that enable well-being.
Healthy Aging: The maintenance of physical, mental and cognitive health as you grow older, while preventing or delaying the onset of frailty.
I ask my patients all the time: Why don’t you move more? There is a huge range of exuses that is way too long to fit here.
You have to take charge of your health and beat Sitting Disease on your own. The time to start is now. You have a big decision to make. A decision with life-changing ramifications.
Sitting Disease = Sedentary Lifestyle
What is a sedentary lifestyle? A sedentary lifestyle is a lifestyle spending “longer than 6 hours a day” with a low energy expenditure- less than 1.5 METs.
Activities that take less than 1.5 METs include watching TV, sitting at a computer, reclining or lying down.
Light intensity activity uses 1.6-3.0 METs includes walking a leisurely pace or standing in line at the store.
What are METs?
METs = metabolic equivalents.
One MET is defined as the energy you use when you’re resting or sitting still.
An activity that has a value of 4 METs means you’re exerting four times the energy than you would if you were sitting stilCombo problem
There is a STRONG ASSOCIATION between being sedentary and a marked increased risk of YOU developing diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, dementia, fractures, cancer and even dying a premature death.
We currently face a double threat: too little exercise and too much sitting.
Some concerning facts and stats to think about:
25% of Americans spend more than 8 hours a day sitting
Almost half of Americans do no moderate to vigorous activity at all
Women are more likely than men to be physically inactive
US ranks 143 out of 168 countries in physical fitness: It’s our Culture now
Pelple who sit more than 6 hours a day have a 71% increase in mortality rate
Approximately 3.2 million deaths each year are attributable to insufficient physical activity
CV disease risk goes up 147% with high levels of sedentary behavior
Sitting for long periods of time is linked to a 112% increase in the risk of diabetes (Among the different chronic conditions, diabetes is the most consistent when it comes to the strength of association to long periods of sitting)
People who sit more than 7 hours a day are more likely to develop anxiety, depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease:
Sitting for more than 7 hours daily increases the risk of depression by 47% compared to those who only sit for 4 hours a day or less
Sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of developing alzheimers by up to 12 times
Sedentary behavior increases the risk of some types of cancer by up to 66%
Increases risk of colon cancer by 24% (When the researchers took a closer look at common sedentary pursuits, watching TV stood out, showing a 54% higher risk of colon cancer and a 66% greater risk of endometrial cancer.
Increases risk of endometrial cancer by 66%
Increases risk of lung cancer by 21%
According to the WHO, physical inactivity is the 4th leading risk factor for mortality accounting for:
6% of deaths globally
22% of heart disease
22% of colon cancer
12% diabetes and hypertension
The Cure for Sitting Disase Has Arrived!
Fortunately we have a cure for The Sitting Disease.
EXERCISE IS THE CURE
It’s widely available, free to all, comes in many shapes and sizes and is a COMPLETE CURE!
Just two minutes of physical activity for every hour of sitting can lower the risk of premature death by as much as 33%.
In order to remain healthy, the entire day should be devoted exclusively to ways and means of increasing one’s strength and staying healthy, and the best way to do so is through physical exercise. Hippocrates 400BC
EXERCISE = The Ultimate Health and Prevention Product.
Conclusions
Do not exercise for me or your doctor. Do not exercise for your spouse or your nagging kids. Don’t even exercise for your heart per se.
Sitting Disease is a chronic condition that will effect every part of your body for the rest of your life.
Just start moving and think about your QUALITY OF LIFE as you age. Your brain, your bones, your balance and your well being will all be driven by your activity levels.
Make moving a priortity in your life and start TODAY.
I am truly rooting for ya.
