Stand Up For Yourself

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday October 23, 2008

Paula Goodyer

RUSSELL CROWE says his main strategy for stacking on extra weight for his new movie Body Of Lies was being more sedentary. Most of us don't need the motivation of movie contracts to seduce us into a sitting position: it just happens naturally. Calculate the time spent sitting in front of a steering wheel, a computer or TV screen each day and, for anyone with a desk job, it can easily add up to most of your waking hours.

Research in Australia and overseas has shown small movements can also help combat obesity and chronic disease. First there were the Mayo Clinic researchers in the US who compared the movements of lean people with those of obese people. Skinnier people spent around two hours a day on small movements such as getting up and down, pacing and generally fidgeting, which ate up an extra 1400 kilojoules a day.

Meanwhile, a University of Queensland study has found the more time people spend sitting, the higher their waist measurement and their blood sugar levels. But the more time they spend on light activities, such as putting out the garbage or folding laundry, the healthier their waist measurement and the lower their blood sugar.

Why is the little stuff so important? The theory is that even small movements make you contract your muscles, which use up blood sugar for fuel, says University of Queensland researcher Dr Genevieve Healy. But just sitting there means you're barely moving a muscle - and not using up blood sugar, either.

So if much of your working day involves sitting, how do you fight back? One strategy is the adjustable desk that allows you to either sit or stand while you work. Called an electric sit-stand desk, it lets you instantly change its height with the push of a button so you can stand up or vary your positions while you use a computer. Although more popular in Europe, the idea is taking off here - Rick Clancy, managing director of AUZspec, a supplier of sit-stand desks, says sales are beginning to grow.

What's really important is to catch yourself sitting. Be conscious of how many hours you are seated each day. If there are too many, find reasons to get up and do something.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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