Sitting is the new smoking

Everyone knows how important regular exercise is for good health, but what most people don’t know is how much sitting for extended periods negatively impacts their overall wellbeing.

As it turns out, it can be easy to help fight daytime fatigue and minimize the effects sitting.

“Sitting for hours on end is bad for your health – for your body and mind,” Chad Hagen, M.D., Kootenai Clinic Sleep Medicine, said. “We’re not made to be sedentary. I urge all my patients and staff members to incorporate small bursts of activity throughout the day. It increases alertness and energy levels. The effects are similar to that of caffeine, but healthier.”

Dr. Hagen referenced an Australian study from 2012, led by the University of Sydney, which studied the sitting habits of more than 200,000 people. The study found a direct link to the amount of time people spent sitting and increased mortality rates.

“Everyone experiences afternoon lulls in energy, especially if you spend your days sitting at a desk,” Dr. Hagen said. “In many European countries, this is when they leave work to go take a nap, but if you can’t find a way to work that into your day then I suggest doing the exact opposite – get up and move.”

Brief stints of exercise (a minute or two every half hour) that increase your heart rate will help fight fatigue, improve your mood, alertness, attention, and productivity. Dr. Hagen said the benefit even these small pulses of exercise bring is surprising.

“People who spend hours sitting at work often feel like they can’t dedicate an hour or two to go work out during the day. But what they don’t realize is they can distribute that exercise throughout the day and receive a very similar benefit while also fighting daytime fatigue,” Dr. Hagen explained. “Not to mention, increased physical exertion during the day creates deeper, better sleep quality at night which will help you feel less tired at work or school the next day.”

Set yourself up for success

To help stay awake and alert throughout the day, Dr. Hagen recommends following these guidelines to help your brain perform at its best.

Sleep is key.

Being fully rested will help you get off to the right start every day. Dr. Hagen recommends setting up a consistent sleep schedule where you get 7-9 hours of rest.

“It’s important to really protect the time you dedicate to getting rest,” he said. “Having a consistent bedtime and wake-up time will help your circadian function.”

Eat the right foods at the right time.

To help create stabilized energy throughout out the day, eat a breakfast that is low in sugar and simple carbohydrates. Glycemic control, or controlling your blood sugar levels, will help to regulate fatigue later in the day.

“Being smart about the calories you consume will help provide stable, consistent energy throughout the day,” Dr. Hagen said. “Eating a lot of carbohydrates in the morning will cause you to experience more lows during the day. Eat a larger, protein-rich breakfast to prevent those dips in energy.”

Move.

Dr. Hagen believes the very best way to stay sharp is to incorporate movement that increases your heart rate several times a day. Setting a reminder for every hour or 30 minutes will help you stay on track.

“I can’t overstate the importance of being active throughout the day,” he said. “If you can have a standing or treadmill desk at work, I highly encourage it. Anything that will help prompt you to move and get up from your desk.”

Are you tired of being tired? Contact Kootenai Clinic Sleep Medicine at (208) 625-6877 or visit kh.org/sleep to learn more.