Sit Less for Optimal Health

Did you know that adults in the U.S. sit an average of 10 hours each day?

Recent medical research shows that people who sit for longer than 8 hours daily increase their chances of dying by 40%. Those who often sit for longer than 30 minutes at a time, also have worse health outcomes, with an increased risk of death of up to 50%.

Too much sitting does harm in multiple ways. When we sit, lipoprotein lipase the enzyme on our muscle cell wall becomes less active. Lipoprotein lipase helps control cholesterol levels and when it is not working from too much sitting, cholesterol levels rise and so does risk of heart attack and stroke.  Another enzyme on our muscle cell walls, GLUT, doesn't work as well when we sit too much.  GLUT is responsible for helping to control blood sugar levels. When GLUT is less active as is the case with sitting, blood sugar levels rise and lead to weight gain and higher risk of diabetes. And finally, when we sit too much, our bones become weaker, and we are more likely to experience hip fractures as we age.

Americans continue to do more work in the office at a desk, and lead increasingly sedentary lives at home. Does this mean the rise in sitting and the negative consequences of sitting, are inevitable?

Definitely not! In this course, Dr. Cohen, a primary care doctor in San Francisco, shares with you effective strategies for reducing sitting to achieve optimal health.