Is sitting bad for you? The link between illness and sitting first emerged in the 1950s. Researchers found double decker bus drivers were twice as likely to have heart attacks as bus conductors. The drivers sat for 90 per cent of their shifts and the conductors climbed about 600 stairs each day, staying physically active.
It is thought excessive sitting slows the metabolism. This affects our ability to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, and metabolise fat, which may cause weaker muscles and bones.
Research on astronauts in the early 1970s found life in zero gravity was linked with accelerated bone and muscle loss and ageing. So if sitting excessively is bad for us, what’s the answer? If we find ourselves falling into a sedentary lifestyle, what should we do about it?
Is Sitting Bad For You?
There are measures we can use to prevent excessive sitting time. We can take the stairs more often, rather than a lift. We can use a standing desk when we are working. A good idea, if you find yourself sitting a lot, is to set a timer. Set the timer for an hourly interval to remind you to take a walk, or simply move around for a few minutes.
Stand while talking on the phone. Make it a habit to have a walk each time you boil the kettle. Avoid long periods of sitting in front of the TV.
The Problem With Sitting
When you become accustomed to sitting for long periods, it can become more and more difficult to become active. Your habits become your life. So to break the habit of sitting, it’s important to make a new habit out of something else. If you’re home bound, and spend a lot of time in the house, this could mean just walking around for 5 minutes each hour. Or going upstairs regularly, just for the exercise.
Here’s a simple hack which has become popular lately by books such as Mini Habits by Stephen Guise.
In Mini Habits, Stephen Guise explains how to craft “mini habits” to “install” new behaviours. In the book, he uses the example of a push up. He says if you want to create change, it’s difficult to do all at once, or to take large leaps. Instead, you create tiny, ridiculously small habits which are easy. So, if you’re used to sitting a lot, a new “mini habit” might be to set a timer, and simply stand every hour.
The idea of mini habits is to help break old patterns of behaviour and install a new one. By doing it in very small “bites”, it builds momentum.
Your new habit, is to stand up, even if only for a few seconds. The trick is, this builds momentum, much like doing a single push up a day. Once you’re in the push up position, you’re much more likely to do more.
A micro habit you could create might involve a 5 minute walk each day, or just climbing the stairs every hour, or whatever feels doable for you.
Home Bound Activities To Shift Your Sitting Habit
So here’s a short list of homebound activities which you can do each day to build momentum and get you out of the sitting habit. If you’re suffering from a condition, such as arthritis, it can be difficult doing much activity. So setting tiny daily habits can help to shift the pattern of sitting for too long without any movement.
- Set a timer for the hour, and simply stand up for 30 seconds
- Walk around the house each time you make a cup of tea
- Use the stairs more often – they’re a great workout if you’re housebound.
- Join a Yoga/Pilates class – or watch an exercise video each day for 5 -10 minutes, or whatever’s comfortable.
See also the nhs website on sitting.