Sitting does more harm than eating donuts

  We spend our entire lives dieting and counting calories, but we get to the office and sit for hours and hours without realizing that it’s what is killing us. “Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than skydiving. We are sitting ourselves to death” – Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic. According to data published by Mashable, we currently spend an average of 9.3 hours a day sitting. This is more than ever before in human history. But since our bodies are not made for this, a sedentary lifestyle triggers many problems. Here are some of them: 1. It makes you gain weight Obese individuals spend an average of 2.5 hours more a day sitting than those with a healthy weight. This is because sitting decreases the production of an enzyme we need to break down fat. 2. It’s bad for the heart People with jobs that require them to sit have double the risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those whose jobs require them to stand. 3. It causes diabetes Spending between 8 and 12 hours a day sitting increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 90%. 90%! Humanity is not designed to sit; it is a consequence of the modern era where we sit to get to work, continue sitting, and when we leave, we go home to sit and watch television. 4. It reduces bone density Spending so much time in the same position can lead to broken bones from any fall later on. 5. It burns fewer calories Sitting burns 50 calories less than standing, which contributes to overweight (especially if all you do during the day is sit). How can you solve it? By getting up every half hour, walking during commercials, taking a walk after eating. The key is to spend as little time sitting as possible. If it’s within your means, you can even get a standing desk that allows you to work while standing. Have you finished reading this? Now stand up! View original article.