Health Beat - Winter 2020 - 7

Excessive sitting
is unhealthy, but smoking
still holds the top spot
as the worst habit for
your health.
Prevention says smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths
worldwide, with more than 480,000
deaths in the United States caused
specifically by smoking each year.
Although studies have shown
that a sedentary lifestyle can
lead to chronic diseases and an
increased risk of death, it has not
been directly attributed to specific deaths.
Bottom line? Excessive sitting is
unhealthy, but smoking still holds
the top spot as the worst habit for
your health.

PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES

How to Prevent the
"Sitting Disease"
To stop the onset of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, you need to
sit less and move more.
"The American Heart Association
recently released guidelines for
exercise to help prevent cardiovascular disease, and they stress
the importance of getting 150
minutes per week of moderate
physical activity or 75 minutes per
week of vigorous physical activity,"
Arnett says.
If you can't fit in trips to the
gym, have no fear. "Those minutes
do not have to be done all at once,"
she says. "Taking a short, brisk walk
for 10 minutes three times per day
will benefit you the same. Focus on
making small changes every day."
Another way to combat surplus
sitting: Replace it with standing or
walking. For example, stand as you
catch up on your TV shows, or host
walking meetings around the office.
Rather than finding time for
exercise, find ways to modify what
you're already doing every day.
Small, simple steps can add up to
big changes in your health. 1

5 Habits That Are
Just as Bad as Sitting
1

Not flossing.
Cleaning between your teeth is
an important way to rid your body of
harmful bacteria. Gum disease can
increase your risk for heart disease.

2

Not protecting your skin.
Skimping on sunscreen when
outdoors or visiting a tanning salon
exposes you to ultraviolet light that can
damage your skin and lead to cancer.

3

Drinking alcohol.
Not only does heavy drinking
impair your immune system, but it
can also increase your risk for certain
cancers and weaken your heart.

4

Slouching.
Bad posture can derail the body's
natural alignment, which can strain
your spine and cause back pain.

5

Skimping on sleep.
Studies show that sleeping less
than six hours a night significantly
increases your risk for heart disease
and diabetes.

TIME FOR AN ACTIVITY BREAK
Need reminders to get moving or help logging physical activity?
Download Evernote, a note-taking app with notification
capabilities to help you schedule your workouts. Find it in
the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

FIND workouts to practice at your desk by searching "desk exercises" on YouTube

7
Health Beat - Winter 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Health Beat - Winter 2020
