The hard truth about sitting
Perhaps you’ve heard that “sitting is the new smoking.” For a few years now, the idea has been growing that sitting at a desk all day long is a really bad thing for your body. During the pandemic, when so many people began working from home, the idea gained even more momentum.
Dr. Freeman Farrow, family medicine doctor at Beacon Medical Group La Porte, is accepting new patients.
So how much truth is there behind the condemnation of desk jockeying? We spoke with Freeman Farrow, MD, family medicine physician at Beacon Medical Group La Porte, to get the scoop about sitting.
Q: Is sitting really as bad as smoking?
Dr. Farrow: I prefer to state that smoking and an extensive sedentary lifestyle are both bad for your health.
When we speak of sitting a lot at work, we tend not to think of it in the same terms as being a “couch potato” at home. But your body is still sedentary. Both smoking and a sedentary lifestyle are bad for our health. Both have cumulative negative effects over time. And often the same person has a double whammy over time, because he or she both smokes and lives a sedentary life both at work and at home.
Together and independently, smoking and a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk for multiple medical conditions that could otherwise be avoided or minimized. They also have the effect of detracting from quality of life (because of an inability to be physically active in various ways), as well as potentially shortening your lifespan significantly.
Q: If someone has a desk job, what are the best ways to increase movement ― frequent “movement breaks” during the day, or a longer workout at the end of the day?
Dr. Farrow: I like to borrow a line from the movie World War Z that “movement is life,” albeit for different reasons than escaping fast zombies. The more you move, without harming or overexerting yourself, the better.
So, moving your body as much and as often as reasonably possible during a day of sitting at a desk, and exercising in a coordinated session ― as close to daily as possible for 30 minutes or more, at the beginning or end of the day or during a lunch hour ― are both important and beneficial.
If you aim to get both forms of exercise, you’re more likely to get at least some benefit you were not getting before. Some exercise is better than none.
And you need to be kind and encouraging to yourself, which is more likely to result in continuing efforts to improve exercise and general health than if you reprimand yourself for not meeting exercise goals. In the first instance, you’re likely to progressively do more exercise and improve your health over time. In the second instance, your negativity is likely to lead to an even more sedentary life, the exact opposite of the desired outcome.
Q: Are there other benefits to regular movement?
Dr. Farrow: The more you exercise regularly, however much or little per day or week, the more likely you are to also eat better. Ice cream and other junk food are more likely to be eaten during a sedentary weekend than a very physically active weekend.
Q: How much movement do you recommend to offset the effects of sitting?
Dr. Farrow: A loose guideline for the “desk jockey” is to try to get up and move for a minute or two for every half hour of sitting. There are more specific guidelines put out by experts that I and other providers consult when advising our patients.
People who are desk-bound at work benefit not only from periodic breaks to get up and move, or even move in the chair, but they can also benefit from specific series of stretches designed to combat the negative effects of prolonged sitting, such as a stiff neck or back.
Also, the basic ergonomics of a person’s office set-up are important, although many office workers do not have reasonable options for changing bad ergonomics.
Q: What about people who have health conditions that make it difficult for them to avoid sitting for long periods of time?
Dr. Farrow: Movement is good for everyone, but particularly for those who already have arthritis of any kind or chronic pain. It is especially important for them to move daily and often. The more one sits around and doesn’t move, the worse the arthritic pain or chronic pain is likely to get.
It sounds counterintuitive to some people, but movement on a regular basis, especially stretching and strengthening exercises, actually help minimize, control and even resolve much arthritic and chronic pain. Other treatments may be needed, in consultation with your healthcare team. But more movement, within the limits of the person’s capabilities, is always beneficial.
Chronic pain, breathing problems, cardiac problems, etc., may affect the exercise level the person can begin with. But without exercise, these conditions will worsen faster than they will with exercise. In fact, rehabilitation programs for cardiac and pulmonary problems routinely include individualized exercise plans.
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