44 MUSCLE & FITNESS JUNE 2016 PAVEL YTHJALL
GET A
STANDING
DESK
Standing
requires more
muscle control
of your posture
and thus burns
more calories.SIT ON A
SWISS BALL
It’s not as good as
standing but still
works the core. The
more deflated the
ball, the harder it is
for you to stabilise
your core.USE A SMALL
WATER BOTTLE
A smaller water
vessel will force
you to get up to
get water more
often. You’ll walk
to the bathroom
to wee more, too.TAKE BRE AKS
Set an alarm to
take a 2-minute
walk every 20
minutes. If you
can’t, do burpees
or jumping jacks;
they work better
than coffee.SOME ESTIMATES
claim the majority of
people spend 55–70
percent of their waking hours sitting
insteadofhuntingandgathering.
Our bodies were built to move, so
if that’s accurate, it’s worrisome.
A Journal of the American Medical
Association meta-analysis of TV
viewing found that for every two
hours of extra TV time, people are
at a 20 percent higher risk of
diabetes, 15 percent higher risk of
heart disease and 13 percent
increase in all causes of death. Solivingasedentarylifestylehasthe
potential to impact your heart health
and metabolism. Plus, sitting and
being hunched over can impact
posture, tighten hip flexors, weaken
the core and glutes and lead to more
belly fat. These imbalances can
result in anterior pelvic tilt, a
postural problem that often leads
to painful, nagging injuries.
Standing isn’t necessarily the
cure-all. You’ll burn more calories
than you will sitting since you’re
using more core stabilising and large
leg muscles, but standing for long
periods can cause plantar fasciitis,
lower-extremity joint pain, or
low-back pain – especially for
overweight or unconditioned people.
Studies support the correlation
of more activity with longevity
and maintenance of cognitive
function in ageing compared
with being sedentary or standing.
The obvious cure? Quit your
job! Can’t do that? Then try this:DR VICTOR PRISK
is a board-certified orthopaedic
surgeon, a former gymnast and
a GNC medical advisory-board member.A:
Is sitting as bad for me as
I’ve read? Would standing
be better for my health?- MIKE
ASK XXXX