Stand Up for Your Health!

The warmer spring weather is enticing us to get up and go outside - and we should heed that call, according to medical professionals and several studies on the link between sedentary behavior and poor health.

Research shows that prolonged sitting - such as that done by computer-bound workers and inactive seniors - can lead to diabetes, depression, weight gain, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, spinal issues and even cancer. A 2022 study from JAMA shows that substantial periods of sitting may be associated with increased cancer mortality risk, and a study in 2017 published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed a correlation between prolonged sitting and a risk of early death from a variety of causes.

"The physiology of sitting or being sedentary takes away from our baseline health,” said Elissa Thompson, MD, a cardiologist with the Cape Cod Healthcare Cardiovascular Centers in Hyannis and Chatham. "The more sedentary a person is, the higher their blood pressure, the higher their body mass index, the higher their total percentage of fat,” she said. “Your insulin resistance, if you're prone to having diabetes, is going to worsen, your resting blood pressure will be elevated, and there are additional risks in terms of your musculoskeletal and circulatory systems. It is just a very negative thing, overall, for your health."

Dr. Thompson explained that exercise is essential to maintaining healthy bodies.

"Exercise promotes fitness, and being sedentary takes away from our fitness, so it's not a neutral thing not to move around," she said. She cited a report in the New York Times about a study in which they analyzed a subset of individuals via fitness trackers to gauge health outcomes.

"They tracked their actual amount of exertion and then looked at their death rate by cancer," she said. "It doesn't mean that sitting in your chair will ensure you get cancer, per se, but the researchers believe it is a real statistical indicator that lack of fitness goes along with all of these other health risks."

So, what are we to do when our lifestyles and/or work obligations mean we can’t or don’t move as much as we should?

"Sometimes people feel very stuck within the confines of their job," said Dr. Thompson. "They may say to themselves, 'I have to work, I can't go to the gym all day long,' and then it becomes this insurmountable challenge, and they opt to just do nothing, and that's the worst possible thing."

Instead, she suggests doing what you can, wherever you are. "Every little bit of extra activity that you do helps," she said.

Encouraging working people who sit for much of the day to get up and move requires understanding their workplace, whether they are fully back at an office, following a hybrid plan, or working entirely from home. Dr. Thompson also realizes that people need to be motivated in specific ways, so she offers some concrete strategies to get up and out of our seats.

At the Office

• Park as far from the entrance as you can, so you get some steps in.
• Get up to talk to a colleague rather than send them an email.
• Make sure you go to the water cooler a couple of times a day (added bonus: more hydration!)
• Use the stairs if your office has more than one floor, instead of the elevator.
• Take five or ten minutes at lunchtime to go out and walk around the building.

Working from Home:

• Use work breaks to do small household tasks, like folding laundry or emptying the dishwasher.
• If you can, turn off your camera during video meetings and march in place or stretch.
• Make your calls on the move. Walk around your house while chatting with colleagues, clients, family members or friends.
• Take a brief stroll in your neighborhood or around your garden.

Everyone:

• Use a fitness tracker. "Fitness trackers can be very helpful and very encouraging," said Dr. Thompson. "I have a tracker that alerts me to get up and walk around if I haven't reached a goal of 250 steps an hour."
• Set reminders on your phone or computer to move at least once an hour. Taking that physical break from work, writing or reading has additional cognitive benefits as well. "A break in the middle of a concentrated period of mental effort will actually improve your intellectual capacity," she said.
• Consider a stand-up desk. "Stand-up desks are really helpful, and it is ergonomically better for you if you can stand instead of sitting all the time." She reiterated that it is vital for any of us who are locked into a desktop computer situation for most of the day to understand that ergonomics are very consequential for our musculoskeletal and circulatory health. So, she advises anyone using a stand-up desk to be mindful of how they are standing and not to hunch your shoulders or neck.

There are high-end treadmill desks available, as well as more affordable options, such as simple stands to elevate computer monitors and keyboards, so you can choose what works best for your lifestyle or work situation.

Overall, Dr. Thompson wants to stress the remarkable benefits of movement for everyone.

"Just get going, with any bit of extra activity,” she said. "Be a little creative and just make it a fun part of your day. Soon it will be part of your workflow or daily routine, wherever you are."