Even active people need to sit less for better health
Dr. Mercola says it best: “You might think, like I did, that if you had a phenomenal exercise program that you wouldn’t have to worry about prolonged sitting. But nothing could be further from the truth.”
Ruh roh.
We’ve talked before about how sitting is literally killing us (click for vid). But new research from NASA scientists reveals that even if we stand up, it’s actually the change in posture that has the most impact on our health. Perpetual motion keeps your body healthiest and happiest. Dr. Joan Vernikos states: the good news is that there are virtually unlimited opportunities for movement throughout the day.
“The key to lifelong health is more than just traditional gym exercise once a day, three to five times a week,” she says. “The answer is to rediscover a lifestyle of constant, natural low-intensity non-exercise movement that uses the gravity vector throughout the day.”
Technology has severely limited our opportunities for regular, household movement. The studies that correlate TV-watching early death aren’t railing against TV—but if you weren’t watching TV, what would you be doing? Chances are you’d be doing something that requires bodily movement.
What can you do? Three easy things:
- Stand up every 10 to 15 minutes
- Incorporate Foundation Training exercises (example videos here); powerful simple structural movements that help strengthen and realign your body posture
- Grounding, by walking barefoot outside, can restore health and happiness
For more info and lots of research, click on over to Dr. Mercola’s article here.
Image: Some rights reserved by Brendon Burton