We all know that being sedentary is unhealthy, but sitting, specifically, adds an even more dangerous level of health risks to the mix.

In the previous blog post we talked about the increased risk of heart disease.  But sitting at a desk all day causes other problems as well.

Because your legs are kept bent, the muscles along the front of your thighs shorten up.  When you stand up they can’t stretch out as they should so people with desk jobs tend to walk leaning forward after a time.

If you sit hunched over your desk for long periods you develop a permanently hunched posture.

What about your butt? You’ve heard of the dreaded secretary spread!  Your butt muscles (glutes) are the biggest muscles in your body.  When you are sitting, your glutes aren’t being used at all.  They become weak and flabby causing you to lose strength.  And remember that muscle tissue burns calories – if you lose your largest muscle group, you lose your biggest fat burning source!

Having a desk job is not only a pain in the butt, but also a pain in the neck, back, and shoulders.  It causes stiffness and decreased balance and flexibility.

But what can you do to lessen the health risks of having a desk job?

Very simply, get out of your chair! Stand when reading over paper documents.  Pace when talking on the phone.

Be creative!  Look around your office for opportunities to get out of the sitting position.  I have an elbow-height counter in my work area where I put my laptop and stand to work for part of each day.  I also set a timer to make sure I get up at least once per hour even if it’s only for 5 or 10 minutes.

When you get home at night, don’t just veg on the couch watching TV for 4 or 5 hours.  Walk the dog, sweep the floor, stand up to fold the laundry.

Now that you know the health risks of having a desk job, what are you going to do to avoid them?

Please do your friends and followers a favor and share this article with them.  Thanks!

Having a desk job could be the biggest health risk in your life if you don’t make some changes to your sedentary lifestyle.

Many of us work day in and day out sitting at a desk, some at home, some in offices.  We know that too much sitting around leads to health risks such as obesity and heart disease.

But what about those people who faithfully keep their weight under control and work out strenuously for an hour  every day?  This cancels out the negative effects of sitting at a desk all day, right?

Wrong!

Studies conducted by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center (the leading obesity research center in the U.S.) have found that the health risks of a sedentary day are not helped by adding a separate exercise session no matter how intense it is. Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk at the Pennington Center says, “Regularly exercising is not the same as being active. A person may hit the gym every day, but if he’s sitting a good deal of the rest of the time, he’s probably not leading an overall active life.”

Even standing around is healthier than sitting.  A study in the UK compared bus drivers, who sit most of the day, to conductors, who stand.  The drivers were twice as likely as the conductors to die of heart disease, even if they had the same amount of belly fat.

From Dr. Katzmarzyk again: “The evidence that sitting is associated with heart disease is very strong.  We see it in people who smoke and people who don’t.  We see it in people who are regular exercisers and those who aren’t.  Sitting is an independent risk factor.”

Dr. Marc Hamilton, also of the Pennington Center says, “Humans sit too much, so you have to treat the problem specifically.  The cure for too much sitting isn’t more exercise.  We know there’s a gene in the body that causes heart disease, but it doesn’t respond to exercise no matter how often or how hard you work out. And yet the activity of the gene becomes worse from sitting – or rather, the complete and utter lack of contractile activity in your muscles. So the more nonexercise activity you do, the more total time you spend on your feet and out of your chair.  That’s the real cure.”

Nonexercise activity is defined as activity that is incidental to your life such as walking down the hall, housework, or even just standing.

My next post will discuss other health risks of having a desk job besides heart disease.

Why have plain old oatmeal when you can have chewy, gooey oatmeal?

When the weather turns cool I always like to have a hot breakfast.  But who wants the same old oatmeal every day?  Try this recipe for some variety!

Chewy, Gooey Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/4 cup pancake mix
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 apple, chopped

(This recipe makes one serving.  Increase quantities as needed to serve more.)

Mix all ingredients in an oven-proof dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  If desired, top with butter and/or pancake syrup.  Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite homemade hot breakfast dish?  Please share in the comments below!  Thanks!

I just found out about a new circuit training program I want to tell you about.

It’s called Sizzlin’ Circuits and it’s from Angie Tousignant, wife of Scott Tousignant, who is the genius behind  Fat Loss Quickie.

This comprehensive diet and exercise program is designed to target your thighs, butt, and waistline.  The videos are fun to follow and the meal plans take the guess work out of deciding what to eat.

When you order Sizzlin’ Circuits, you get:

• 3 workout videos
• 2 cardio videos
• Meal plan and recipe videos
• A workout journal
• 3 motivational audios
• An online support community
• And more

And the number one best thing about Sizzlin’ Circuits?  It costs less than $10! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such a complete program offered for such a low price – I hope they keep it that low!  Check out the Sizzlin’ Circuits website and see if you think it will help you!

You go to the health club to stay healthy, right?

But, especially during the “cold and flu season”,  how do you keep from catching something when everyone is coughing, sneezing, and sweating on the surfaces you have to touch?

Here are 7 ways to stay healthy at the health club:

1. Before you even consider joining a particular gym, ask the staff how often they clean the equipment, showers, floors, etc.  What cleaning products do they use?  Do they have a written schedule for cleaning?  Make sure you’re satisfied with their answers before you commit.
2. Wipe equipment with a towel then spray with your own disinfectant spray before using.  You can use disinfectant wipes rather than spray if you prefer.
3. Don’t go barefoot anywhere in the club.
4. Bring your own mat rather than using the ones provided by the gym.  Wash it at least once a week.
5. If you have a cut, scrape, or blister, cover it with a bandaid.
6. For the pool, shower, etc. have at least two pairs of flip-flops to alternate.  That way one pair can dry for a whole day while you wear the other.  Actually, you should give all your shoes at least a 24-hour drying period between wearings.
7. Bring a plastic bag for your used workout clothes to avoid contaminating the inside of your gym bag with sweat and bacteria.

Following these tips should help you avoid gym germs and stay healthier!

What advice do you have for staying healthy at the health club?  Please share in the comments below.  Thanks!

I just can’t get enough of that yummy pumpkin flavor at this time of year!

About a month ago I wrote a post about pumpkin nutrition. Recently I tried a delicious pumpkin pancake recipe that I thought I’d share with you today.  Enjoy!

To make these pumpkin pancakes you’ll need the following:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/3 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and the wet ingredients in a small bowl.  Add wet to dry and let stand about 5 minutes.

Spray griddle or pan with non-stick spray and cook as usual for pancakes.

Serve with butter, whipped topping, syrup, or all three!  For variety you can add a little  grated apple or chopped pecans.

Yum!  Just talking about it makes me hungry.  Think I’ll go whip some up right now!