Is sitting the new smoking?

A 2014 article in the New York Times described research by Dr. Levine of Mayo Clinic identifying sitting as a “lethal” activity with many of the same health consequences as smoking. That led to headlines such as “Sitting Is the New Smoking,” and a public health push to get moving more throughout the day.

Since then some researchers have pushed back saying, yes, sitting is harmful to health, but comparing it to smoking is irresponsible. Smoking is quite simply the most harmful lifestyle habit to health, period.

I think a big difference is that people who smoke know without question they are damaging their health and choose through habit or addiction to do it anyway. Sitting, on the other hand, is fully ingrained in modern life and seems so benign.

Research Findings

So, let’s take a look at the research. Sitting for long periods of time (8+ hours per day) has been linked with metabolic syndrome, a term for a cluster of symptoms including increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, and abnormal cholesterol levels.

Prolonged periods of sitting – whether it’s at a desk, in a car, or in front of a screen – seem to also increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Some studies even equate that risk to the risk of dying posed by obesity and smoking.

A real eye-opener in this research was that twice-weekly aerobic exercise classes don’t offset sedentary time as much as we would all like to believe. Sitting, as it turns out, is an independent pathology.

As Dr. Levine puts it, “being sedentary for 8-9 hours a day at the office is bad for your health whether you go home and watch television afterward or hit the gym. It’s bad whether you are obese or thin.”

Marc Hamilton, an inactivity researcher at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, found that electrical activity in the muscles goes silent while seated, causing a cascade of harmful metabolic effects.

These include a drop in insulin effectiveness, lower ability to break down lipids and triglycerides, and reduced levels of HDL (good cholesterol).

Hamilton even studied young, fit, and thin subjects, and recorded a 40 percent reduction in insulin uptake after only 24 hours of being sedentary.

Programmed for Movement

Digging further into the research shows that the body’s response to sedentary behavior is genetically programmed. As it turns out, back in cave-dwelling days, being sedentary was a signal that something was terribly wrong – an injury or illness that could spell death.

So, the body responded with short-term metabolic changes (like increased cortisol) designed to get the body up and moving and healing. The key word is short-term.

When these metabolic changes become long-term through prolonged sedentary behavior then health starts breaking down. The value of periodic movement breaks (at least 1 per hour) signal to the body, “Hey, I’m fine here, no need to panic!”

Making Movement “Deposits”

Make a pact with yourself to create movement breaks throughout each day. Get up every 30-60 minutes and move about, take the stairs, stand up when you talk on the phone or read a document.

Seek opportunities to ingrain movement into every hour of the day – and then hit the gym or go for a walk to support cardiovascular health. Don’t compound a day of sitting with more sitting at home! Keep movement on your radar and be willing to take action.

My husband thinks I’m a bit weird, but if we’re watching TV, I often get up during commercials and do knee lifts, small kicks, stretches, etc. I’ve even been known to break into a dance of some sort (picture a lot of strange looks and head shaking from the other side of the room).

It is a bit silly perhaps, but I know from experience that it makes a big difference in how I feel at the end of a program.

For my website, I have launched several Vitality Spotlights® movement minutes filmed outside in Montana, Hawaii, and Yellowstone National Park! These include exercises you can do anywhere. Please let me know what you think!

How many hours a day do you sit? Is it broken up in segments or prolonged for an hour or more at a time? What triggers could you use to remind you to move throughout the day? Please share in the comments below.

There are some brands and retailers we can count on for sales and others that discount products pretty rarely. Thanks to the Marc Jacobs Beauty Closet Sale, you can stop up on the brand’s luxe makeup at prices cheaper than we’ve seen in a long time. We’re talking up to 60 percent off foundation, lipstick, eyeliner, eyeshadow palettes and more—at least until it all sells out. While a lot has sold out already, there are still a ton of goodies to shop.

Lipstick fans should jump on these offerings since there are more than 25 color and finish options including high-impact cream shades and high-shine gloss and liquid lip crayons. Finish your look with bold and bright eyeshadow, ultra-thin eyeliner and rosy blush. You can stock up on essentials too, including full-coverage foundation you’ll wear all year round. This isn’t just a spring sale even though there are spring-ready colors. There’s something for everyone. Shop some of our favorites, below.

Image: Marc Jacobs Beauty.

O!Mega Eyeshadow

There are a few gorgeous shades of this 12-hour longwearing gel eyeshadow on sale for more than $10 off.

Image: Marc Jacobs Beauty.

Le Marc Lip Crème

All 33 (!) shades of this creamy lipstick are half off.

Image: Marc Jacobs Beauty.

Air Blush Soft Glow Duo

Choose from three different blush duos (two are already sold out!).

Image: Marc Jacobs Beauty.

Re(marc)able Full Cover Foundation Concentrate

There are still some shades of this full-coverage foundation on sale for less than $30.

Image: Marc Jacobs Beauty.

Fineliner Ultra-Skinny Gel Eye Crayon

Fans go crazy for this 2mm eyeliner that gets thisclose to your lash line.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

There’s a cardio workout and then there is a dance cardio workout. Guess which one I like more? Besides my standing date with an outdoor jog every week, my favorite way to break a sweat in the house is by throwing on my favorite pair of biker shorts, a matching sports bra, and queueing up one of the best free dance workouts. Nothing beats trying to twerk and drop it low like Megan Thee Stallion in the comfort of my own home. If only my knees were as strong as hers.

But wishful thinking aside, YouTube is where you go for an introduction to belly dancing, Zumba, Bollywood, and literally every other dance style you can think of. Though dancing is a workout in and of itself, I appreciate choreography combined with exercise moves or methods, like HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and yoga. If you’ve yet to make plans for the next few days—besides binging yet another Netflix show—here are some free dance workouts to get you moving off the couch.

Pamela Rief 15-Minute Dance Cardio Workout

A quick, calorie-burning workout for people on a time-crunch.

Selena Watkins 30-Minute Caribbean Workout

Grab a flag and turn up in your living room to this soca-inspired workout.

Afrifitness Afrobeats Dance Workout

Leave ample time for a warm-up and cool down before getting your heart rate up with this Afrobeats dance party.

Dance #LIKENINA

Actress Nina Dobrev joined forces with Reebok and Les Mills for this 40-minute jam sesh.

Strong by Zumba 30-Minute Class

A head-to-toe workout that blends strengthening poses with Zumba dance moves.

Leilah Isaac Flat-Belly Standing Abs

Activate your sexy with this 15-minute belly dancing workout.

Dance With Deepti Bollywood Dance Fitness Workout

Pretend you’re on the big screen with this medium intensity, low impact workout that’s actually Bollywood-inspired choreography.

Joseph Corella’s 567 Broadway Cardio Dance to Annie

Sweating to the oldies—Broadway oldies, like Annie, to be more specific. Jazz hands!

SassClass #SassAtHome

It’s getting hot in here, literally and figuratively, if you decide to take on this sexy stiletto workout at home.

305 Fitness Lit Hip Hop Dance Workout

The dance studio is doing live (and free) YouTube workouts every morning and evening, but you can also hit play on one of their many hip hop circuits.

MYLEE Dance Dua Lipa – Don’t Start Now Workout

MYLEE workouts make you feel like you’re in an actual music video.

Fit Body by Ashley

This one-hour cardio workout is not for the faint of heart. Prepare to sweat.

The Studio by Jamie Kinkeade 20 Minute Dance Cardio HIIT Workout

I need to catch my breath after just watching this 20-minute cardio blast.

Source: Instagram

Nicole Steen Tone N Twerk Dance Workout

If you have an Amazon Prime membership, this toning workout is free to play over and over so you can master some booty moves.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.