- So how much time would you say you spend
sitting each day, just sitting.
If you're the average person,
you spend about eight hours a day sitting.
You could spend up to 15 hours each day
just sitting down somewhere,
and, surprise, this is not
very good for your body.
Excessive sitting, which is defined as
any time you sit more
than two hours per day,
leads to what health professionals
call sitting disease,
which, granted, is a hilarious name,
until you realize that it could lead to
some major and surprising health problems
later down the road,
including an overall shorter life span.
You know, whatever.
I know that we're doing a bit, guys.
Because we're telling you
about how bad sitting is
for you while we're sitting.
But that's ridiculous.
I'm going to take a stand.
If you're willing and able,
then take a stand with me
while you watch this,
because sitting can be bad for you.
Here's why.
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First, it's ruining your posture.
Or it could be, because it turns out
there's an art to sitting.
If you sit excessively then you might also
be sitting improperly.
This can lead to an inflexible spine
and herniated lumbar disk.
But that's not it.
Wait, there's more.
It can also give you kyphosis or lordosis,
which are the fancy office names
for what we call a
hunchback or a swayback.
What is good posture then, exactly?
It all goes back to an even distribution
of weight and alignment.
Your shoulders align with your hips
aligning over your knees.
The is the opposite of
slumping over a desk.
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Two, atrophy.
You see, sitting too often
can make your muscles
acclimate to sitting.
It's like you're training
your muscles just to sit.
Over time this can lead to
what's called disuse atrophy,
which means that your muscles lose
flexibility and bulk and mass.
But it doesn't just affect your muscles.
This atrophy can also cause
your bones to lose density,
making them brittle, more likely to break.
It can lead to osteoporosis.
Are you still sitting?
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Three, slowing metabolism.
It sounds weird, but go with me here.
In the time it takes you to watch
one episode of Game of Thrones,
that's about an hour of sitting,
your body reduces it's production
of the fat-burning enzyme lipase by 90%.
If you don't reduce your
caloric intake at that point,
you know, the food that you're eating,
then you're going to gain weight.
Additionally, this will lead to your body
managing insulin less efficiently,
which could lead to diabetes.
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But it's not just your body.
Sitting can also ruin your mind.
Think about it.
When your body is not
working as efficiently
to circulate blood and oxygen
and important hormones,
then your mind starts to
become a little bit dull,
and this can add up as well.
In fact, in 2012 the
CDC conducted a study,
and they found that
employees who spent the day
standing while they were working,
like at a standing desk or something,
were overall more happy.
They had higher self-esteem,
and they were in a better mood.
More specifically, 87%
of those respondents
who were standing said
they felt more energized,
and 71% of those same respondents said
they felt more focused.
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Fine, dude, I'm sitting.
(light techno music)
I'm standing up for the outro, though.
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Lastly, one hour of sitting,
every hour that you sit
can increase your chances
of having a disability.
It's true.
A 2013 study by the Journal of
Physical Activity and Health
found that adults over 60 spend an average
of nine hours per day sitting.
This study also found that for every hour
they spent sitting over
that nine hour average
they increased their chances of acquiring
what's called an activities
of daily living disability,
which is a mouthful,
but it just means this.
An activity of daily living is stuff like
using the restroom,
dressing yourself, cooking,
all the normal little chores we have to do
as human beings every day.
So how much higher are your chances
of not being able to do this basic stuff
for each additional
hour you spend sitting.
Fifty percent.
Fifty per--, I'm standing.
I'm standing.
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These are just a few of the ways
that excessive sitting can
cause harm to your body
over time.
But hey, don't take it sitting down.
I'm sorry.
Seriously, you can just go
take a walk on a lunch break,
or walk around your neighborhood.
It'll make a big difference to your body
overall as you age.
Thank you for watching this video.
We hope that you liked it.
If you would like to learn more
about sitting and your health,
check out our article,
"10 Ways Sitting Wrecks Your Body,"
on howstuffworks.com.
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- This is heavy.
Make that fort we were talking about.
(chime)
