The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 4
In part 1, I looked at the impact of sitting on your muscles, and in part 2 generally explored the impact on the rest of your body. In part 3 I focused on the impact of sitting on your circulatory system including your heart. In this article I will explore the impact of sedentary behaviour (sitting) and the link to cancer.
So how common is cancer?
According to Cancer Research UK
- Every two minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer.
- 1 in 2 people in the UK born after 1960 will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime.
- Breast, lung, prostate and bowel cancers together account for over half of all new cancers each year.
- Overall cancer incidence rates in Great Britain have increased by more than a third since the mid-1970s, with almost this entire rise occurring before the late 1990s.
And here is the good news is more people survive cancer than die from it now.
- 46% of men and 54% of women cancer patients diagnosed in 2010-2011 in England and Wales are predicted to survive 10 or more years.
- Cancer survival in the UK has doubled in the last 40 years.
The Link Between Cancer & Inactivity
Last year in a meta-analysis, Daniela Schmid and Michael F. Leitzmann of the University of Regensburg in Germany analyzed 43 observational studies, amounting to more than 4 million people’s answers to questions about their sitting behavior and cancer incidences. The researchers examined close to 70,000 cancer cases and found that sitting is associated with a 24% increased risk of colon cancer, a 32% increased risk of endometrial cancer, and a 21% increased risk of lung cancer.
D Schmid & MF Leitzmann, 2014, Sedentary behaviour insreases the risk of certain cancers, Journal of National Institute of Cancer, Volume 106, No 7. see http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/106/7/dju206.full
The really bad news is that your can’t exercise away the harmful effects, “Adjustment for physical activity did not affect the positive association between sedentary behavior and cancer” write Schmid & Leitzmann. Even participants who achieved the daily recommended levels of physical activity were at the same risk as those who spent their day sitting.
One theory as to why this is the case, is that regular movement boosts natural antioxidants that kill cell-damaging and potentially cancer-causing free radicals, another theory is that the excess insulin encourages cell growth.
The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that carries glucose to cells for energy. But cells in idle muscles don’t respond as readily to insulin, so the pancreas produces more and more. A 2011 study by Stephens et al found a decline in insulin response after just one day of prolonged sitting.
Stephens et al, 2001, Effects of 1 day of inactivity on insulin action in healthy men and women: interaction with energy intake, Metabolism Volume 60, No 7 pages 941 – 949. see http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002604951000315X
Related Posts
Top tips for preventing sports injuries
Many sports injuries occur because people don't know how to prevent them. Here are some tips to help prevent injuries:
- Always wear the correct gear. Players should always wear appropriate and properly fitted protective sports gear such as pads (neck, shoulder, elbow, chest, knee, shin), helmets, mouthpieces, face guards, protective cups, and/or eye wear.
- Increase muscle strength.
- Increase flexibility. Stretch!
- Use the proper technique.
- Take rests.
- Follow the rules of your sport and play safe.
- Stop the activity if there is pain.
- Keep hydrated.
What can help depression during pregnancy?
Post natal depression is very well known, what is talked about less often is depression during pregnancy. A team of scientists in the Uk and Singapore conducted a systematic review of six clinical studies, involving 450 pregnant women that examined the effects in yoga on depression during pregnancy. All six studies showed reductions in depression scores, indicating that yoga is a promosing non-medicine approach for improving psychological health of pregnant women. Participants recruited for the trails reported mild depressive states and therefore larger studies are required to examine the impact of yoga on pregnant women with severe prenatal depression. Reference https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S174438811830608X?via%253Dihub=
Headaches Treatment & Prevention – Part 2
After introducing headaches, I then explored the downside of orthodox treatments and how massage can help. Now I want to share with you how other complementary therapies may help. Nutrition We all know that if you suffer from headaches you need to avoid becoming dehydrated. But what can be equally important is to control your blood sugar balanced by avoiding sugars and refined carbohydrates (i.e. anything sweet, fluffy or white!) . Certain food substances – such as histamine, tyramine and phenylethylamine – can trigger headaches or migraines. These foods include cheese, citrius fuits, red wine, chocolate & coffee. There is a time lag between eating these foods and an attack, as the problem arises when the food reaches the liver. Some research has been done on the benefits of Omega (3, 6 & 9) essential fatty acids will help control pain & inflammation for migraine sufferers. [Harel Z, Gascon G, Riggs S et al. Supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the management of recurrent migraines in adolescents. J Adolesc Health 2002 Aug;31(2):154-61. 2002.] Bowen Technique The Bowen Technique is a hands on therapy that is applied using very gentle pressure. The practitioner uses thumbs and fingers on precise points of the body to perform Bowen's unique sets of rolling-type moves which stimulate the muscles and soft tissue of the body. In association with the Migranie Action Assocation some research was carried out into the effectiveness of receiving Bowen Technique treatment to allieviate migraines. All study participants had been diagnosed as migraine sufferers by their GP. 31 out of the 39 study particpants experienced a positive result of either
- Reducation in frequency of migranies
- Reducation in the degree of pain experienced
- Reduction in both the frequency of migraines and the degree of pain experienced
