You’re going to love this one: scientists analyzing diabetes, heart disease and obesity discovered that the very act of sitting turns off the circulation of the lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fat. Physiologists also discovered that muscles are more engaged while standing and the very act of standing increases the distribution of lipase, which in turn encourages the body to break down fat and cholesterol, separate from the amount of time you work out at the gym. Marc Hamilton, Ph.D., a professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Missouri in Columbia, said: “chair time is an insidious hazard because people haven't been told it's a hazard”. Dr. Hamilton also explains: "the existing data, by numerous studies, are starting to show that the rates of heart disease and diabetes and obesity are doubled or sometimes even tripled in people who sit a lot."
He says reason being is LIPASE! When the switch is ON, the fat is absorbed into the muscles, however when we sit, the enzyme shuts OFF. “Instead, the fat will recirculate into the blood stream and go and be stored as body fat or it can clog arteries and cause diseases," Dr. Hamilton says.
So few tips to those who are bound to desks for the entire day:
- Get up every hour or so, walk around and stretch in between.
- Drink more water, so that you’ll have to visit the bathroom more frequently.
- Walk when on the phone.
- NO take-outs, go and get lunch yourself.
- If you’re ready for this step, swap the chair for a treadmill. Yes, small and slow versions of walking treadmills are out there.
- Those commuting to work, get off one stop earlier and walk. If you do it twice a day, that’s going to add up to ten times a week (provided you work 5 days) and FORTY times a month!
- Get yourself a device that measures number of steps taken daily and overall activity level.
Trust me, if you do these small changes, they will add up and to your amazement, pounds might start coming off! Most importantly, remember that human body is designed to move and movement means LIFE! So invest a little bit time into your own health and it surely will pay off!
