Decrease Risk of Type 2 Diabetes - 3 Tips To Stop Sitting So Much!

Jun 16, 2021

So what's that all about? Well, back in the day, way back in the day, when we were hunting and gathering for food and shelter and all of that, we moved a lot. It didn't mean that we didn't rest and we didn't stop and sit for some period of time, but we weren't sitting the way we sit.

Today, we don't have to hunt and gather for food anymore. We just have to go to the grocery store and there's plenty of food there. I guess there was a little bit of hunting and gathering there, but not that much.

But think about how much we actually sit. We sit at the office all day, maybe in front of a computer for eight to 10 hours a day, we drive wherever we're going. Let's say we drive home after work or wherever we're going. We order in groceries to the house. And then we sit and watch TV for at least three hours every night.

That is a lot of sitting right now. The problem with that, is that all of that sitting, or prolonged sitting, contributes to a higher risk of diabetes, a higher risk of heart disease, heart failure, dementia, and more.

Who would have thought something like sitting for a long time would do all that? Well, it's all about being very sedentary. And the interesting part of it is even if you exercise, like even if you're a consistent exerciser and you're doing strength and resistance training and all of that, if you're sitting for more than four hours a day, you are still at risk at higher risk for these diseases.

So what can you do?

Well, first of all, you can do the sit/stand desk thing, which lots of people were doing, and hopefully they're back doing that now. And remember sitting and standing were not meant to be in one position for hours on end, but you can go back and forth right between those two.

Next, if you're on the phone all the time, stand up and walk around. Even if you can't really go away from your desk, there's a cord on that phone that you can at least move around a little bit, right? You can step forward, you can step back. You can kind of pace a little bit.

Then there's my favorite: walking meetings! Now who doesn't love those, usually they're quick. And to the point!

So it's not just about the movement that we need to do every day, right? We need to do that, but we also need to look at how much we are just sitting in one position.

Now here's a little bonus tip. We talked the other day about hydration. You keep drinking plenty of water. You'll have to get up to use the restroom. Now, if that isn't a bonus right there, I don't know what is!

If you have questions about your diabetes and would like a little more information on what I have to offer, click here and sign up for a health chat and I'll see how I can help you.

Thank you so much for listening.

Dr. Elaine

 

Health chat: https://calendly.com/drstewart/healthchat

 

 

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition.