Advice for overcoming the sitting disease

For many of us, life is lived in a chair — at home or work, in the car, the movies, talking with friends, watching sports. Sitting has become natural; exerting our muscles beyond getting from here to there has become unnatural.

Some experts use the term "sitting disease" to describe our increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Many adults spend 23 hours a day either sitting or lying down. A sedentary lifestyle is not only bad for your physical health, it is also detrimental to your mental health, not to mention keeping your blood sugar under control and managing diabetes.

Overcoming this lifestyle is truly psychological; you must want to change.  Changing does not mean jumping into intense exercise routines or sports. There are some simple things you can do at home at work to get more active and expend more energy.

1. Use the stairs rather than an elevator whenever possible.
2. Take up gardening. Whether you’re mowing or raking the lawn, pulling weeds or watering your plants indoors or out, it’s a great way to get moving and expend energy.
3. Dance. Dance like no one is watching, alone or with others. It’s a fun way to be active and also work off the stress of the day.
4. Walk. Walk your children to school, choose walking short distances rather than using your car, or get off the bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way to your destination.
5. Park far away. For destinations where you do take your car, such as the mall or your workplace, choose a parking spot at the back of the lot or farther away than usual to add more activity to your day.
6. Take up a new sport. Some sports and exercise activities are not as intense as others so you can start slow and increase physical activity at your own speed.

Physical activity improves your health. One of the first results of a sedentary lifestyle is weight gain. Getting active will not only help you maintain a healthy weight, it will also be beneficial to your health in several other ways.

• It helps to improve your mood and mental health.
• It helps reduce stress and its impact on your health.
• It helps increase and maintain your muscle and physical strength.
• It helps improve cardiovascular health.
• It helps to reduce the risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

When it comes to exercise, your body knows what to do. It wants to move. Sometimes, you just need to get your mind out of the way. You'll be surprised at how quickly you fall into a more active lifestyle, once you give it a try.