SACPA speaker won’t stand for a sedentary lifestyle
Our distant ancestors may have been hunter-gatherers. But today, we spend hour after hour simply sitting.
That sedentary lifestyle has proven hard on our health, a Lethbridge researcher warned Thursday. But there are ways to reduce that harm, she told an audience at the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs.
Jennifer Copeland, a member of the Kinesiology and Physical Education faculty at the University of Lethbridge, cited obesity, diabetes and muscular problems among the dangers of sitting too long.
“TV seems to be the devil,” she suggested, with the remote control an accomplice.
But fewer and fewer jobs require standing, Copeland noted — and so many involve sitting at a desk or a computer. She cited research showing Canadians now spend 88 per cent of their day sitting, 33 per cent sleeping — but just two per cent engaged in vigorous physical exercise.
“There is no question that automation has had a negative impact on the health of the population,” she said. “Sitting time definitely affects your health.”
As little as 30 minutes of activity a day — running, walking briskly, exercising — could counteract the impacts of long-term sitting, she said. That would meet the target of 150 minutes per week, with two “days off.”
Copeland said breaking up hours of sitting at the office by standing up, walking up stairs or engaging in other “light activity” will also help.
In recent years, she pointed out, “standing desks” have become more common as their prices fell. They can reduce muscular discomfort.
But full-time standing still, Copeland cautioned, has its own risks.
What’s best, she maintained, is a balance between sitting, standing and light to moderate activity.
“Sitting is like fine wine,” she added. “A little is a good thing.”
The same could apply to kneeling or squatting — more common in other cultures — but Copeland told a questioner more research would be needed.
There’s no evidence that people who run for exercise are more likely to need hip or knee replacements, she told another. But less demanding outdoor exercise, like walking up a hill, is still effective in spurring the cardio-vascular system.
For seniors and others with joint problems, Copeland said there are many other exercises to meet their 30-minute target. Simply checking the internet, she said, should help to find something suitable.
Copeland was also asked about the “10,000 steps a day” concept.
That number was not evidence based, she said, but it’s a start. “More is better.” Follow @DMabellHerald on Twitter