Researchers Experiment With Techniques That May Lessen Sitting Time During
Work
We’re now hearing about the fatal risks of sitting too long every day ? yet a large
number of us are still doing it. Whether we’re working eight hours at a computer,
driving in traffic, or sitting at home at the TV or laptop ? it’s hard to shake the
habit, as productivity at work typically trumps our ability to take long, exercise-
filled breaks. The fact is, even if we exercise once a day, the adverse effects of our
6+ hours of sitting will cancel that out.
Health experts are urging us to be more aware of the extent of our tendencies to
be sedentary. And a new study out of Curtin University in Perth, Australia, points
to some options for us to break up our days of sitting. “We were surprised by how
difficult it was to reduce sedentary time and that no one approach seemed better
than the other approaches,” Leon Straker, one of the authors of the study, told
Reuters.
I ? Word Understanding
Trumps ? to beat or do better (than)
adverse effects ? bad effects
sedentary ? doing a lot of sitting; lack of physical activity
II ? Have Your Say
1. Three models tested by researchers that would help office workers
move throughout the day:
? Access to standing or cycling desks
? Exercise breaks or walking /jogging breaks
? Ergonomic workstations
2. Research shows that the longer you sit watching television, the greater
your waist circumference, and the higher your risk is of dying from
cardiovascular disease.
