Well, civilisation has come a long way from the days of the caveman when even having a simple mid-morning snack meant chasing down some unsuspecting prey for an hour before relishing a much-deserved bite.
The days of office jobs, computers, cars and yes… long evenings spent in front of the television has meant we spend more time on our butts than on our feet.
The argument that sitting too long can kill you…
According to the American Heart Association, sitting for too long can contribute towards heart disease and diabetes even in those who engage in regular physical activity.
“The evidence to date is suggestive, but not conclusive, that sedentary behaviour contributes to cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk,” a team led by Deborah Rohm Young, of Kaiser Permanente, Southern California was quoted as saying by NBC News.
According to Young, half of all jobs required some sort of activity in the 1960s, but that fewer than 20 per cent did today.
“There are clearly physiological changes that occur when physically active individuals become inactive,” Young’s team wrote in the journal Circulation, adding that this meant changes in the way the body used insulin to convert food efficiently to glucose.
Young did however concede her team did not have all the facts needed to understand just why “prolonged sedentary time could negatively impact the health of one’s heart and blood vessels” regardless of how much physical activity one engaged in.
They did however advise at least 30 minutes of either brisk walking or other forms of moderate exercise per day in the hopes this was sufficient to offset however minimally, the effects of prolonged sitting. Light housework or a slow, leisurely walk did not make the cut as these were not considered moderate to vigorous physical activity, at least according to their study.
The argument that sitting too long doesn’t kill you…
Across the globe, Dr Richard Pulsford of the University of Exeter says his research, involving 5000 London civil servants over 16 years, revealed physical activity did indeed more than make-up for long hours spent warming one’s seat.
According to an article in UK’s Men’s Health, Pulsford was reported to have said in The Lancet, “The data shows they (research subjects) walk more often each day and engage in more physical activity, possibly due to the challenges of commuting into – and getting around – central London.”
Another study showed that even short walks had the ability to reverse vascular dysfunction, in this case, meaning “reduced blood flow and increased stress on the artery walls”, the common effects of inactivity.
So while the medical fraternity fights this battle, common folk who cannot afford to give up their desk-bound, nine-to-five jobs, are left with very little else than to get off their fanny and get moving.
Try jogging in the evenings or playing a game of badminton with friends or joining a zumba class – there are numerous practical ways to get physical.
Research in the International Journal of Epidemiology suggests taking public transport to work as this invariably means walking short distances and the likelihood of having to stand all the way in the bus or train till you reach your office.
A study by the University of Missouri meanwhile proved that a 10-minute walk can reverse the potentially harmful effects on your heart caused by sitting for six hours straight while a Canadian study even found that tapping your foot at a rate of 100 counts per minute can boost heart health. With some of your favourite music playing in the background, this could be the easiest form of physical activity yet.