Counteract the Effects of Sitting

You eat well, drink plenty of water and go to the gym—but you probably have a terrible habit that you indulge in every single day. In fact, you’re probably doing it right now.

Many of us already know that sitting is slowly killing us by raising our risk for obesity and cancer, as well as diabetes, heart disease and early death. The average American worker sits for 12 to 15 hours a day, a habit that results in lower energy, muscle atrophy, reduced joint mobility and a saggy rear end, says Jill Miller, the creator of Yoga Tune Up, a fitness program that improves posture and relieves pain.

But there’s a twofold problem here: First, the vast majority of us really aren’t interested in standing all day. Second, standing up all the time isn’t amazing, either. As anyone who’s ever waited tables can tell you, being on your feet for eight hours can be exhausting, painful and even bad for your health. “Standing puts greater strain on the circulatory system and on the legs, feet and back,” says Alan Hedge, Ph.D., the director of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Research Laboratory at Cornell University.

So what’s the answer? The experts are still trying to figure that out. Until then, here’s a plan for you that’s been backed by the early science. And get this: the strategies are surprisingly easy to follow.

Sit less, stand more.

It’s all about finding the right balance. If you’re an on-the-move type, that may mean being on your feet for most of the day and sprinkling in a few sitting breaks to take pressure off your back. But if you can’t stay focused while on your feet, try sitting when you need to and taking a 10-minute standing break once an hour. Step away from the computer to make a call or do some gentle exercises.

Make it work: It’s totally OK to set a timer until you get into the habit. Or try pairing it with another good habit: drinking water. Frequent bathroom trips can be used as reminders to spend a few extra minutes standing. When you get back to your chair, stay on your feet while you check your to-do list, organize papers, open mail or check social media. Try adding in a few stretches, and your break will feel even better. 

Learn to sit and stand properly.

Posture is key: Hunching forward causes pain; compresses your lungs, thus reducing their capacity and depleting you of energy; and puts extra stress on your neck and back. “Every inch your head hangs forward translates to an extra 10 pounds of weight on your spine,” Miller says.

Movement is also crucial. Try to shift sitting positions every 15 minutes or so. If you’re standing, shift your weight from one foot to the other or lift one leg up on your desk in standing pigeon pose.

Make it work: If you catch yourself hunching toward your computer screen, grab a tennis ball and nestle it right behind your upper back. You’ll get a nice, gentle massage, and you will have to stay upright to avoid letting the ball slip out of place—automatic good posture.

Move, especially after you eat.

Typically, when a person eats breakfast, lunch or dinner and then sits in a desk chair or on the sofa for the next hour or two, they experience “mountainous” spikes in blood sugar, says James A. Levine, M.D., Ph.D., the author of Get Up! Why Your Chair Is Killing You and What You Can Do About It. But if, instead, you get up and walk around—even for just 15 minutes—you’ll cut those blood glucose increases in half. “That’s important, because those ‘mountains’ are the number-one physiological predictor of type 2 diabetes,” Levine explains.

Make it work: You probably move around getting ready in the morning after eating breakfast anyway, but try scheduling in 15 minutes after lunch for a quick stroll, or attempt walking in place while you do dishes to get some exercise and a tidier kitchen. 

Fight back with exercise.

While there have been conflicting study results as to whether a workout can counteract all the negative health effects of sitting, it doesn’t seem likely, since those post-meal spikes in blood sugar occurred way before you got to the gym after work.

That said, exercise, especially the right kind, is incredibly good for you. Functional weight-bearing moves (think squats, kettlebell swings and dead lifts) are the best things desk jockeys can do. When it comes to cardio, trade the treadmill for a circuit of squat jumps, burpees and jumping jacks, or swap your recumbent bike for treadmill intervals. And don’t forget yoga. It improves body awareness, so the poses you strike on the mat will pay off in your desk chair.

Make it work: Variety is key to getting a mix of cardio, stretching and strength work. And don’t rule out lifestyle exercises, either: get off the subway a stop early and walk the rest of the way home, or park farther from the office and walk the rest of the way for a subtle—but important—boost to your activity level.