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HEALTH

If you stand or move around
during the day, you have a lower
risk of early death than if you sit
at a desk. If you live a sedentary
lifestyle, you have a higher
chance of being overweight,
developing type 2 diabetes or
heart disease

Physical inactivity contributes to over three
million preventable deaths worldwide each
year (that’s six per cent of all deaths). It is the
fourth leading cause of death due to non-com-
municable diseases.. It’s also the cause of 21–25
percent of breast and colon cancers, 27 per cent
of diabetes cases, and around 30 percent of is-
chemic heart disease.
How can you save your health from the dan-
gers of sitting?
Dr. Vinay Vermna, MD (Internal Medicine)
gives some simple ideas to keep you moving
while you’re at home:
suggests that people who spend more time
sitting have a 112 per cent higher risk of When you’re tidying up, put items away in small trips
diabetes. rather than taking it all together.
Set the timer on your television to turn off an hour earlier
Hips and back than usual to remind you to get up and move.
Your hips and back will not support you Walk around when you’re on the phone.
as well if you sit for long periods. Sitting Stand up and do some ironing during your favorite televi-
for long periods can also cause problems sion shows.
with your back, especially if you consist- Rather than sitting down to read, listen to recorded books
ently sit with poor posture or don’t use an while you walk, clean, or work in the garden.
ergonomically designed chair or work If you work in an office:
station. Poor posture may also cause poor Stand up while you read emails or reports.
spine health such as compression in the Walkover and talk to your colleagues instead of emailing
discs in your spine, leading to premature them.
degeneration,which can be very painful. Take the stairs instead of the lift.
Use the speakerphone for conference calls and walk
Stiff neck and shoulders around the room during the calls.
If you spend your time hunched over a com- Stand on public transport, or get off one stop early and
puter keyboard, this can lead to pain and walk to your destination.
stiffness in your neck and shoulders. Walk or cycle, and leave the car at home.
Use the stairs instead of the lift or escalator, or at least
Cancer walk up the escalator.
Emerging studies suggest the dangers of Get off the bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way.
sitting include increasing your chances of Park further away from wherever you’re going and walk
developing some types of cancer, including the rest of the way.
lung, uterine, and colon cancers. The reason Move your rubbish bin away from your desk so you have
behind this is not yet known. to get up to throw anything away.
How sedentary are we? LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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