This body was made for moving...

Recently, I did a "meet and greet" marketing event at a local bank to promote my business.  It was a LOT of standing in one spot. I did my best to move around, knowing that standing in one spot for prolonged periods of time can wreak havoc on my body. I had good shoes on to support my feet, but by the end of my time there, my left knee and back were sore. I fell into bed early that night as if I had had a rough day!  I decided to research the effects of prolonged standing and prolonged sitting on the human body and this is what I found out:

Standing all day can lead to:

• Foot, leg, back, and hip pain
• Varicose veins
• Poor circulation in your legs and feet
• Joint damage and arthritis
• Swelling in feet and legs
• Heart and circulatory problems
• Pregnancy complications
• Mental health issues
• Foot problems (bunions, corns, heel spurs, flat feet)
• Postural distortions

Imagine how much your risk for these complications goes up if you are carrying extra weight on your body!!

Sitting all day can lead to:

• Poor posture (rounded, hunched shoulders; head pulled forward)
• Increase in heart disease and higher cholesterol
• Muscle imbalances ( tight hip flexors and hamstrings especially, as well as stretched out glutes and quads)
• Slower calorie burn, which means slower metabolism!
• More prone to depression because of fewer "feel good" hormones reaching the brain
• Higher chance of diabetes because the less you move, the less blood sugar you use
• Higher chance of heart disease
• The muscles that support your spine get weak and stiff, which leads to back pain

According to the Archives of Internal Medicine, if you sit for more than 11 hours per day, you have a 40% higher chance of dying. The odds of dying are 15% higher for those who sit between 8-11 hours per day.  This is the result of being too sedentary.

We were built to move! I know it's not easy if you have a desk job or a job where you stand in one spot.  So, what can you do to prevent bad things from happening to your body? Sit, stand, AND move around during the day. Stand and walk once per hour at least. Fitting in a workout every day (30 min) helps, but it doesn't erase 8-11 hours of sitting during the day.  Just get up and move throughout the day. It may help lower your cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar.  Wear quality shoes with good support. Lose weight if you are overweight or obese to take that pressure off your joints.  Stretch every day!

Here is a great link with more info on what happens when you are too sedentary:

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/sedentary-lifestyle-hazards

Our bodies are made for moving, so get moving! It will help you Get FIT, Be FIT, Stay FIT!