Throughout the development of Sitflow, one of the primary goals has been to provide people with an easy and practical way to offset the harmful effects of excessive sitting. This is particularly important because studies have shown that for people who sit too much, even working out regularly is not enough to offset the health consequences caused by too much sitting.
New research published last month in The American Journal of Physiology — Endocrinology and Metabolism, shows just how damaging prolonged sitting is, even for individuals who work out regularly. The participants in the study were seven healthy young men, who wore monitors and spent four straight days being generally active (sitting for just 8 hours a day), and then generally inactive (sitting for 14 hours a day). On the fourth night, the subjects ran for an hour and the next morning ate a breakfast consisting of ice cream and half and half.
Following the four sedentary days, the subjects had high very levels of triglycerides (fats associated with heart disease) in their bloodstreams after the ice cream breakfast, despite the vigorous workout the night before. However, after the four generally active days and the same vigorous workout and breakfast, the triglyceride levels were significantly lower.
These findings really put into perspective how important it is to balance regular exercise with increased movement throughout the day. Even if you go to the gym five times a week, you may not be able to offset the effects of a sedentary lifestyle if you sit for prolonged periods of time at work each day.
Here at Sitflow, a study like this one really resonates with us, as the findings sum up exactly why we set out to create Sitflow in the first place. With the New Year just around the corner, many of you will make resolutions to exercise more, but don’t forget about increasing movement throughout the day too!