“Your muscles are contracting, you’re maintaining your balance, and you’re resisting the force of gravity.” Matthews, who studies physical activity and cancer risk at NIH. “You’re engaging a wide range of systems in your body when you move throughout your day,” says Dr. When you’re upright and active, even briefly, your body is at work. “But research suggests that breaking up sedentary time with even short bouts of activity-like getting up from your desk and moving around-is associated with smaller waist circumference and other indictors of good health.” Donna Spruijt-Metz, who studies childhood obesity at the University of Southern California. “Some of us are sort of forced into sedentary lifestyles by our jobs, by school or by commuting,” says Dr. Studies have found that any time you get up and move, you’re improving your chances for good health. What’s so bad about sitting? Sedentary behavior-which usually means sitting or lying down while awake-has been linked to a shorter lifespan and a wide range of medical problems. The groups who sit the most are teens and older adults. Scientists estimate that Americans ages 12 and up now spend most of their time-about 8 to 10 hours a day-sitting and doing things that require little energy. Maybe it’s time to try standing up instead of putting your feet up. If you’re like most people nationwide, you’ve spent more than half of your waking hours sitting or inactive for long stretches of time-at work, at school, in the car or watching TV or another type of screen. Had an exhausting day? Think you deserve to kick back and relax? You might want to think again.
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