14 DAY TRIAL // Because of the changes in our society, most of the work we do today is done sitting. Many of us have desk jobs from 9 to 5, which means we’re either too tired to work out when we get off work or too busy to do something else. Even so, we always seem to find the time to watch TV, with a recent research showing that an American watches about six hours a day of television, while most households have at least two such devices, as physorg informs.
Watching television is actually very harmful because it comes to encourage an already sedentary lifestyle. Instead of sitting down on the sofa at night, after dinner, to catch a favorite series or talk show, we should consider doing something to keep active, no matter what that might be. Light to moderate exercise decreases the risk of heart disease, not to mention that it helps prevent the apparition of a weight problem that can worsen in time.
“Although studies have focused on television watching, sedentary behavior in general is harmful to a person’s health. With obesity, hypertension and diabetes affecting millions of Americans, we should try to be as active as possible every day. Many daily activities are now done sitting. Much of a person’s day consists of shifting from the desk, to the couch, to the bed – one sedentary activity after another. This is why we must make time for exercise, any exercise, which not only promotes a healthy lifestyle but also leaves us with a strong heart,” Jack Rubinstein, MD, says for the aforementioned publication.
“Studies show that across the board, sitting for long periods of time has unhealthy effects on blood sugar and blood fats. This is alarming. In order to live a healthy life, you must make physical activity a priority, along with eating right. So either hit the gym before sitting down for your favorite weekly TV drama, or just turn the tube off and play tag with your kids or take a walk with your spouse – make small improvements to get moving and get healthy,” Dr. Rubinstein adds.
That is to say, we don’t even need to attempt to make a drastic change overnight, the kind that best goes under “New Year’s resolutions” and that is usually broken in a matter of weeks. On the grounds that any type of exercise is good exercise, we can start by watching less TV and using that time (say, half an hour or more) to keep moving, go out for a walk, play with the kids, do house chores, whatever we find most appealing at that precise moment, experts urge us.