The American Heart Association’s recommended guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate – intense exercise each week are still at risk of developing chronic disease if they spend too much non-exercising time sitting – especially women whom researchers found sit more as they grow older, raising their risks even more? Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns, including obesity and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels. Too much sitting also seems to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Peter Katzmarzyk, associate executive director for population and public health sciences at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., will discuss “epidemiological data and other current findings about the effects of sedentary behavior on long-term health at the American Physiological Society’s Integrative Biology of Exercise 7 meeting in Phoenix,” according to the American Psychological Society. “It appears that there are independent health effects associated with excessive sitting, and that even in people who are meeting the physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes per week, there are ill health effects associated with sitting excessively during the rest of the day,” Katzmarzyk said. His team’s research and previous research showcases the association between exercise and sedentary behavior and that replacing sitting time with even light activity – even though moderate-to-vigorous activity is preferred – can have a positive effect on health in the long term. So, get off the couch and your chair at work! Take a walk around the neighborhood with your family and your beloved pet, act like a kid again and play with your kids at the playground and forgo the elevator at work by breaking a sweat climbing the stairs. Your body – and your family – will thank you for taking active steps to prolong your health and your life. Are you in need of fitness assistance? Fitness for Health can help you create a healthy, active lifestyle while having fun and sustain weight management. We offer customized exercise programs designed to fit your and your children’s exact needs while helping you reach your unique health goals. From first-time gym-goers to NFL professional athletes looking for athletic training, Fitness for Health has fitness programs to help people of all ages and abilities reach their fullest potential. And, we offer family workouts and Open Gym playtimes so families can become active together. Do you want your tweens and teens to get off the couch? Concerned about their weight management? Searching for a physical activity where your children will have fun and want to keep coming back? Fitness for Health’s Healthy Heart class is just the ticket. Your kids will have a blast while breaking a sweat with our heart-pumping exergaming program. Using our state-of-the-art equipment, kids will get fit, feel good and get healthy. This program is a cardio clinic used to help children who are overweight. It is a successful product of our collaboration with Potomac Pediatrics to help improve kids’ health and fitness. Join the fight against childhood obesity and register for our Healthy Heart program today!]]>
Tags: obesity, exercise benefits, sitting, exercise, health, fitness