Stand Up: Women Risk Death By Prolonged Sitting

by Alex DiBranco · 2010-08-09 09:55:00 UTC
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Activists always want people to stand up: to stand up for progress, to stand up against hate, to stand for what you believe in. But Aliza Bartfield at Alternet reports that people, especially women, need to literally get out of that office chair and stand on their own two feet to combat the risk of early death.

Death by prolonged sitting might sound far-fetched, but the American Cancer Society says it's serious stuff. "Sitting, the study says, suppresses hormones that affect triglycerides and cholesterol, which could trigger heart disease." Even a woman who considers herself healthy because she gets a good workout at at the gym still had a 37% higher risk of dying over the 14 years of the survey if they spent more than six hours a day seated. (Men had an increased mortality risk of 18%.) And any typical desk jockey knows that six hours is usually the minimum amount of time spent that way.

There are some upsides to the study: for those who are always told to settle down, turns out that fidgeting is a health-improving activity (even if it's not always welcomed by the mental health of the person sitting next to you). Walking down the hall to stand and chit-chat with a coworker also counts as activity that keeps you from too much sitting. And when your boss asks why you're not at your desk, you can say you're gossiping for your health.

Excuse me while I nip down to the water cooler.

Photo credit: _rockinfree

Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.
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