more than steps

more than steps is all you have to do . . .

-almost Extreme

Sitting is a part of life but prolonged sitting is part of the problem. We sit during our commutes to work. Many of us sit for the majority of the day at work or home. We sit during our commute home. We sit at dinner. Then, we follow it up with a big serving of sitting to watch TV, bond with the internet or read.

Why does it matter?

Prolonged sitting has been correlated with more back pain, especially long periods of sitting without position changes. It can contribute to muscle stiffness, joint pain, inflammation, muscle atrophy, and general deconditioning. Even worse, less activity and more sitting impacts our healthspan (years lived in good health) and lifespan (numbers of years lived).

What can we do about it?

We can intentionally break up our seated activities. This may mean buying or making a sit to stand desk. It may mean setting a phone alarm to stretch every hour like my family member, a computer engineer, does. It may mean getting a sip of water, taking a bathroom break, or completing a 1-minute stretching routine every two hours.

What is our daily movement goal?

Shoot for at least 30 minutes of dedicated physical activity a day sprinkled with periodic movement, position changes, and stretches to slice up prolonged sitting. Some of us may need to break this up into three 10-minute walks or exercise spurts. You may have heard the recommendation, “Walk 10,000 steps a day.” There is merit to this statement but like any lifestyle change, it has to work in your world. For many people this may be a lofty or inappropriate goal. A Journal of the American Medical Association found that for older women even as little as 4,400 steps improved lifespan. The concept is to move more and move more often. A May 2020 study and other studies have shown using a smart phone or other step-tracking device increases physical activity and improves control of painful inflammatory conditions. Tracking devices give us instant gratification and the daily confirmation that “we got our steps in.” Even better, more movement means we are lowering inflammation and disease. A great way to supplement planned exercise is by incorporating more movement into your daily routine.

More than steps . . .

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References

1. Lee I, Shiroma EJ, Kamada M, Bassett DR, Matthews CE, Buring JE. Association of Step Volume and Intensity With All-Cause Mortality in Older Women. JAMA Intern Med. 2019;179(8):1105–1112.

2. Park, Sang-Min, et al. "Longer sitting time and low physical activity are closely associated with chronic low back pain in population over 50 years of age: a cross-sectional study using the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey." The Spine Journal 18.11 (2018): 2051-2058.

3. Franssen WMA, Franssen GHLM, Spaas J, Solmi F, Eijnde BO. Can consumer wearable activity tracker-based interventions improve physical activity and cardiometabolic health in patients with chronic diseases? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2020;17(1):57.

Photograph credit, Drew Collins