Sitting has been called the new smoking for several years. Mayo Clinic endocrinologist James Levine claims in his 2014 book “Get Up!” that sitting costs us two hours of life. Thus, work environments that are unhealthy are addressed by standing desks.
Levine’s claim that sitting is as harmful as smoking has always seemed like clickbait. Deskwork is common. Though I’m quite active in my leisure time, I’m idle most of the day. No one smokes, but virtually everyone sits, so equating desk chairs to cigarettes doesn’t make sense.
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In “Exercised,” Dan Lieberman challenges the idea that sitting is the new smoking. According to Lieberman, we make people feel exercised about exercise and physical activity. Confusion and worry can be caused by misinformation, which can also appear valuable and judgmental.
Oversimplifications and myths can harm movement activism, according to Lieberman. The fearmongering about sitting’s harm is particularly bad.
Sitting Isn’t A Modern Invention
Our concern about sitting stems from the assumption that people living in less industrialized societies, past and present, sat far less than we do. ‘If hunter-gatherers do it, it must be helpful for us,’ we think. Sadly, it’s common.
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Conflicting Statistics On Our Sitting Habits
There is a lot of variation in how many hours people spend sitting based on accelerometer data (electric sensors that measure acceleration). As a result, there is no one useful number.
Get Up Frequently If You Sit A Lot
The risk of chronic disease is much lower for people who get up every 12 minutes. Now and then, getting up to get water or tea, pet your dog, chat with a coworker, or run an errand will get you out of your chair for a few minutes.