Sitting is the new....?

[Paul12]

It is said that sitting is the new smoking etc etc. We know a sedentary lifestyle, blood pressure, weight, alcohol, smoking etc etc all cause strokes/heart disease. Have there been any studies that show how and why sitting (eg in an office job 13 hours a day) cause these events in someone NOT smoking, overweight, stressed etc? Is it something to do with blood pooling?

[sos007 Ambassador]

No, it has to do with a lack of nitric oxide production and a slowing of your metabolic rate.

Exercise triggers nitric oxide production which creates smooth muscle cells in your endothelium, and increases your heart rate. Systematically increasing your heart rate daily improves its operational efficiency and lowers blood pressure and resting heart rate. It helps your body reduce internal inflammation by lowering glucose in your blood stream and utilizing glycogen stores in your muscle tissue.

An increased metabolic rate also converts food to food energy much faster and allows your body to burn more fat. Exercise keeps your weight down. It increases dopamine levels in your brain and makes you feel better. There's lots more but that's a good start.

The human body was designed for motion.

Get up and walk 30-60 minutes per day and get at least 250 steps each hour to keep your body in balance.