Sitting: Exactly how much is too much?
For thousands of years’ humans innovated and invented to reduce the need for manual labor. In an environment where food was scarce, reducing physical activity was motivated not out of laziness, but truly in order to survive. Today, with the click of a button we can shop, be entertained, or order food to come right to our door. While life expectancy has increased now that we no longer have to chase down and kill our dinner with our bare hands; little did our ancestors know that we could eliminate so much physical activity from our lifestyles that we could literally sit ourselves to death. The great irony of the 21st century is the technology that brings us convenience and leisure, when used in excess also brings disease, depression, and premature death. This raises the question: Exactly how much sitting is too much?
In a wildly popular and engaging YouTube video called “23 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health?“, Dr. Mike Evans explains how much sitting is too much: CLICK HERE.
Following the industrial revolution and subsequent technology advancements, the current environment as it is known to human-kind looks incredibly different. Two hundred years ago there were no “physical activity minimum guideline recommendations” because there was not a need. People achieved enough physical activity within their activities of daily living that sedentarism and it’s associated consequences weren’t heard of.
However, it’s not technology alone that is the problem! It’s the behaviors (and lack there of) associated with excessive technology use that has become a problem in our culture. Instead of pointing the finger at technology, let’s use technology to enhance and embrace our exercise experience. As you’re out on a walk or run or lifting weights, you might listen to your favorite music, podcast, or audio book, for example.
In sum, instead of allowing technology to interrupt our exercise related behaviors, let’s decide how we will behave and allow our technology to come along for the ride. Let’s be the author of our story that tells of how we spend our time and energy, and embrace our newfound technological environment with awareness and value-driven intention.
Thanks for reading! 🙂
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References:
Evans, M. (2011). 23 1/2 hours. Retrieved from: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo
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