Get up!!!! Sitting down is killing you!

Your Life is a sum total of your Mental, Emotional, physical and Spiritual Wellbeing. Do you know that 4 out of the 7 Leading Causes of Death – Heart Disease; Cancer; Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease; Stroke; Accidents; Alzheimer’s Disease; Diabetes can be attributed to excessive sitting and living a sedentary Lifestyle? A sedentary lifestyle is a type of lifestyle with no or irregular physical activity. A person who lives a sedentary lifestyle may colloquially be known as a couch potato.

Some years back, British medical experts linked prolonged periods of sitting to a greater likelihood of disease. Other studies have also shown that each hour spent watching TV is linked to an 18% increase in the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease – this may be due to the fact that TV time is usually spent sitting down.

Yes, sitting down is killing you faster than you know! Today, people sit a lot more than they used to sit in the 60s, 70s, 80 and 90s. It is even worse the older you get and the more successful you become.

80% of the day, we are sitting down (in the car, on the plane, in the office, in meetings, at home and in front of the TV etc.). I can bet that you are sitting down reading this article right now.

By age 65, you would have sat in front of the TV, in meetings, computer, in your car, in the office for between 9 to 19 years of your life.

“Our bodies are breaking down daily from obesity, cancer, depression, based on what scientists call sitting disease” – James A. Levone PhD M.D

Do you know that just by continuously sitting down for 2 hours every day you put your metabolic system at risk; drop good cholesterol levels by 20%; reduce blood flow to vital areas of your body and raise your blood sugar?

“For people who sit all day, their risk of heart attack is about the same as smoking”
– Martha Grogan – MD Cardiologist, Mayo Clinic.

I’d love to introduce you to a wellness rule I created, called the “55-5 Rule”. This simply means that for every 60 minutes you have to sit down, take out 5 minutes to do some physical activity.

So, following The Catalyst “55-5 Rule” you can either just stand, walk around, run down the stairs and keep your body mobile or do some flexibility exercises such as stretching and breathing each day for 5 minutes, in-between 55 mins spots of sitting down during the day.

This can increase your blood flow; metabolism; burn more calories; improve your focus and energy; improve your mental emotional and physical wellbeing; and increase longevity. The Catalyst “55-5 Rule” over an 8-10 hour working day gives you between 40 to 50 minutes work out every day.

This simple 5 minute rule will help you develop your mind power and exercise your body every 55 minutes. If you can’t take out time to go to the gym 3 times a week to spend 1 hour, this innovative “55-5 Rule” just about sorts you out.

Science now shows that physical exercise is important and essential in promoting the growth of brain cells and healthy nerve connections. Physical exercise is also great for physical strength, fitness and stamina.

Remember, you need a POWERFUL body to carry a POWERFUL mind and spirit. So GET Up, Sitting Down is Killing you!
Shalom

Lanre Olusola is a Life, Mind, Emotions & Behavioural Change Coach
Visit www.olusolalanre.com for more insightful articles and follow The Catalyst on social media – @lanreoluosola.
For coaching or therapy: contact [email protected] 08077077000