Did you realize that we sit on our butts 12 hours per day on average? Sitting down as much as this is clearly bad for us and some research suggest that those who sit all day live around two years less than those who are more active. Most of us are guilty of excess sitting. We sit at work, in the car and at home. In a very interesting study conducted on the elementary school level in Texas, students who stood during class at special stand-up desks performed better all around compared to children who sat at their desks!

So why is sitting damaging? One thing it does is change the way our bodies deal with sugar, but sitting also reduces the activity of an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase, which breaks down blood fats and makes them available as a fuel to the muscles. This reduction in enzyme activity leads to raised levels of triglycerides and fats in the blood, increasing the risk of heart disease. Did you realize sitting had this effect on us?

From school age children to those of us in the workforce, standing is clearly the more healthy alternative to resting on our laurels. Will you try standing for a while at work? Contact me after a week or so and let me know if you feel a difference. And I'll try broadcasting the radio show standing up. I'll let you know what develops. My mother won't believe I'm standing up straight with my shoulders back!

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