TAKE A STAND AGAINST SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE

FRESNO PERSONAL TRAINER: TAKE A STAND AGAINST SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE 

(FRESNO, CA June 20, 2011) – We all know that cigarettes are bad for us, but now there is new evidence showing that a sedentary lifestyle can be as detrimental to our health as smoking. 

Several other studies also found that prolonged sitting makes us more prone to heart disease – already the leading killer of Americans – as well as cancer, obesity, diabetes, and even premature death. 

“We’ve always known that sitting for long stretches of time can make us more vulnerable to serious diseases,” says John Galassie, a personal trainer at Valhalla Health Coaching in Fresno, CA. “But now these studies reveal even more bad news: that sedentary lifestyle is nearly as harmful to our health as cigarette smoking, which is the single most preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States.” 

These findings are all the more alarming because they come on the heels of other recently released studies indicating that long periods of time spent sitting in our cars and offices are significant factors in the obesity epidemic sweeping the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and a third are considered obese. 

“It’s all an unfortunate chain of events: sedentary lifestyle leads to obesity, which, in turn, is a well-known factor in heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer,” Galassie notes.  

He points to statistics showing that 40 to 50 million Americans have sedentary jobs, which don’t allow them to get the recommended amount of at least 30 minutes of moderately intensive physical activity five days a week. “Add this to research indicating that 60 percent of Americans don’t exercise enough and over 25 percent are not active at all, and what you get is a recipe for disaster,” Galassie says. 

Since it is not always possible to avoid situations where prolonged sitting is necessary – for example, in a workplace – Galassie recommends “sneaking-in” some exercises to offset the inactivity. 

“Finding time to exercise – maybe before or after work or during the lunch hour – can literally be a real life saver,” Galassie says. 

He also suggests fitting in some “mini-workouts” into the daily work routine.  For example: 

Make a habit of taking stairs instead of the elevator –or, better yet, run up and down. If you do it several times a day, every day, it’ll add up. 

When you’re out of the office, resist the urge to take your car, especially for short distances. Walk to your destination and back quickly enough to get your heart rate up. 

After work, don’t “relax” in front of TV or the computer. “If you finally have a bit of free time, use it for some form of physical activity, not to sit around some more,” Galassie says.