One of the best resolutions you could make this year is to sit less and stand more. It sounds almost too easy. But why is sitting so bad?
- The American College of Sports Medicine has singled out a sedentary lifestyle as a distinct disease risk factor for common chronic diseases, regardless of whether people are getting the recommended amount of exercise. Physical activity does not cancel out the ill effects of prolonged sitting.
- People who stand more during the day tend to live longer. Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center estimate that if people sat for less than three hours a day, the average life expectancy in the U.S. would be 80.5 years instead of the current 78.5 years.
