JustCare

Tag: Movement

  • Move more, sit less

    Move more, sit less

    I plan to walk the NYC marathon in five weeks and have become very conscious of how little I move on a typical workday. I now realize that I sit for hours on end to my detriment. No more! Lydia Denworth reports for Scientific American on the benefits of moving throughout the day and the serious risks of not doing so.

    Sitting too much during the day is a danger to your health. It can cause diabetes and heart disease, among other chronic conditions. What’s interesting is that the damage of sitting is greatest when you don’t stand up periodically. It’s not so bad to sit, so long as, every hour or so, you stand and move your body.

    Why is uninterrupted sitting so bad for your health? It hurts your glucose metabolism. One recent Taiwanese study found that people who sit for hours on end without standing and moving increase their likelihood of dying by 16 percent and increase their risk of heart disease by 34 percent. Of note, cancer survivors who move more have a lower risk of death from cancer and a lower risk of death overall than people who sit around and do not move their bodies.

    To be sure, it’s worse to smoke than to sit endlessly. But, you should not minimize the dangers of sitting and not moving. You really need to walk a minimum of 20 to 40 minutes a day, and more is better.

    Exercising a bit every day is not enough if you also sit a lot. A lot of sitting is bad. Sitting keeps your vascular system from working well, especially in your legs. It also affects blood pressure, blood flow and inflammation.

    Of course, some people have to sit for eight hours a day or more. You can mitigate the risks of sitting and premature death if you exercise a lot.

    Also, keep in mind that standing without moving presents its own set of issues. Movement is key.

    Here’s more from Just Care:
  • Walk as much as possible, especially in the hospital.

    Walk as much as possible, especially in the hospital.

    According to the American Academy of Nursing, as many as two thirds of all older adults who are hospitalized leave the hospital unable to walk independently even though they walked independently when they were admitted to the hospital. Older adults lose their ability to walk independently because they do not stay as active as possible while they are in hospital.  So, if you are hospitalized, walk as much as possible.

    Be proactive. Even if you don’t feel like walking, you should try. Of course, you should speak with your doctor or nurse before you do. If a nurse or social worker is not available to walk with you, it’s likely that a friend or family member or other health care buddy can accompany you.

    Here are four reasons you should walk as much as you can during your hospital stay:

    • Walking will help ensure you continue to walk independently after you leave the hospital.
    • Walking when you can tends to reduce the time you spend in the hospital as well as your need for physical therapy.
    • Walking lessens the likelihood of your needing a new nursing home placement.
    • Walking tends to speed up your recovery rate post surgery.

    To learn more, read this advice from the American Academy of Nursing.