Attack of the Active Counch Potato

Let me ask you a question: Are you sitting or standing? Were you sitting or standing an hour ago? How about three hours ago?  What about five hours from now? 

At the end of the day, which hurts more, your feet or your butt?

I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark here, but by 3 p.m., your backside is completely numb?  

"Johnny, tell her what she's won!"

Don't feel bad, you totally fit in. In fact, most of the country right now is sitting, was sitting and will be sitting for most of the day. 

I'm sitting right now, so there you go. 

For the most part, it's not our fault. It's the evolution of the way we live. We sit and watch the news in the morning. We sit on the way to work. We sit at our desks all day. We sit on the way home. By the time we walk through the door, we're so exhausted from all that sitting—time to lay down on the couch.

It's no surprise that this type of lifestyle leads to a higher mortality rate. The more we sit, the more we grow—and I don't mean up.  

What you may not know is that recent health studies are showing too much time spent sitting puts even the active community (meaning those of us who have a regular, moderate to vigorous exercise routine) at a higher risk for obesity and metabolic health problems. This is not in addition to getting too little exercise by the way. This is it's own nasty issue.  

"WHAT?!!? So Jaime, you're telling me that even though I work my butt off in the gym several times a week, if I sit for most of the day, I'm still not going to lose this gut?"

Yep, that's pretty much what I'm saying.  

Well, think about it. If you have a job that requires you to sit at a desk eight hours a day, you could safely bet that you are mobile for less than three maybe fours hours a day. That's counting your workout, the walk to and from your car, elevator or even stairs, bathroom breaks, walks to boss's office, making stupid jokes at the water cooler, singing in the shower, household chores and even chasing "Sprinkles" before she pukes up a hair ball on your carpet. Sounds exciting, but that's not much movement considering your butt is either sitting or sleeping the other 21-22 hours.   

Crazy, huh?

But of course, there is hope. Simple things you can do to overcome the negative health effects that come with an "active couch potato" lifestyle.

• Move it! Get up from your chair and go for a two- to five-minute walk every hour. If you can't possibly leave your desk (but I'm sure you can find a way), at least designate certain tasks to do while standing, like reading memos or researching online.
• Park it! If you must drive to work, then park your car a little farther away than usual. If you already do that, move it farther! If you can, walk or ride your bike to work. 
• Forget it! The computer, the television, the couch—forget they are there.  Replace your sedentary leisure activities with physically active leisure activities. Or at least make it a goal to do 30 minutes of moving around before you come home and sit.
• Work it! If your not currently working out, start! If you are and it's not vigorous, start! If you are and it's vigorous, continue!—and be diligent about it. 
• Eat it! If your life is somewhat "sit still," then there is NO reason for you to eat like a thirdcentury warrior. Eat things that are appropriate for your lifestyle. If your sedentary, that means lots of veggies and fruits mixed with healthy fats and lean protein. 
• Love it! Follow these tips and you'll be sure to love the way your body will start to feel and look.