Keeping your heart health in good standing
A full quarter of adults in this country are lying down on the job -- well, sitting down mostly. But regardless of how they're positioned, they're not active enough to protect their health or longevity.
It may surprise you that a new study shows the solution to a sedentary lifestyle isn't to simply stand up more. It turns out that folks who trade a sit-down desk for a stand-up one, for example, but don't move much from that upright position, aren't doing themselves any favors.
A study in the International Journal of Epidemiology compared risks for cardiovascular and circulatory health problems in folks who sit a lot and those who stand a lot. Apparently, standing (without moving around) doesn't improve your heart health, and every 30-minute increase over standing two hours a day ups your risk for orthostatic hypotension, low blood pressure triggered when standing up, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a rapid increase in heart rate associated with low blood pressure.
So, whether you're sitting or standing a lot, make sure to move around for at least two minutes every 30 minutes. Download a phone app to see how you're doing with your goal of reaching 10,000 steps a day or the equivalent. And for motivation, sign up for the free newsletter and keep an eye out for the upcoming AI coaching program, Longevity/Wellness, featuring Dr. Roizen and his team at LongevityPlaybook.com. Also, read Dr. Oz's article "Ways to Make Exercise More Enjoyable" at iHerb.com/blog. Don't stand for anything less!
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).
(c)2024 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2024 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Comments