Great Video Spreading Awareness of the Dangers of Sitting—Part II

In our last blog we introduced you to a great video explaining the dangers of sitting. In today’s blog we’ll tell you about a second video that we also think is well worth your time.

Video 2: Are You Sitting Too Much?

Video Time: 3:02 min.

Views: 2,456,717

The popular Youtube channel AsapSCIENCE created this viral video using whiteboard marker animation. The video is more concise than the video we mentioned in our last blog but contains an equal amount of useful information. Here are a few of the key points from the video:

• As soon as you sit down the electrical activity in your muscles drops significantly and your calorie-burning rate plummets to about 1 calorie per minute.
• After only 3 hours of sitting, there is a 50% drop in artery dilation and a resultant decrease in blood flow.
• Sit for 24 hours straight, and the insulin in your body loses nearly 40% of its ability to uptake glucose, which increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
• After 2 weeks of sitting for more than 6 hours a day, LDL cholesterol, sometimes called the “bad” cholesterol, is increased, along with other fatty molecules, putting you at a greater risk for weight gain.
• Because of prolonged inactivity, your muscles begin to break down. Gradually, their contractions become weaker, ultimately impeding the pumping of blood to the heart.
• Even if you work out regularly, the minute you stop moving the deterioration begins again, in proportion to your sitting time.
• That’s the scary part; research shows that just as exercise doesn’t necessarily counteract the negative effects of something like smoking, it doesn’t counteract the negative effects of too much sitting.
• Some studies in women have even shown a decrease in bone mass upwards of 1% every year.
• Perhaps most shocking is that after 10-20 years of sitting for 6 hours a day, you may have lost up to 7 quality-adjusted life years—that is, years without medical issues or death.
• The risk of dying from heart disease increases by 64% while the risk of prostate or breast cancer increases by 30% (based on above stat).
• Simply put, our bodies aren’t designed to be sedentary.

I urge you to take a moment to watch these videos to be informed on the detrimental effects sitting imposes on your body. If you are moved by the information, share these videos with friends and most importantly start moving! If a standing desk is the solution for you or if you want to learn more about standing desks as a solution, visit our store and check out some of the affordable natural add-on podiums like the Standee Classic and Standee Classic XL.