The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 7
There is a wide range of American start up companies, creating technology solutions to combat the new “sitting disease”. In previous posts I have discussed in the impact of sitting all day
- the impact on muscles (in part 1)
- the general impact on the body (in part 2)
- the impact on your heart and the increase risk of cardiovascular disease (in part 3)
- the increased risk of certain cancers (in part 4)
In my post, “Taking a Break“, I explored the reasons for taking a break and looked at the latest research on the length of break you need to take and the frequency. In my last blog post, “Get Moving” I looked at how you can move while working. In this post I want to review the technology solutions that are out there.
Activity Trackers
Most of the technology solutions currently available are wearable activity trackers. These products are basically advanced sensors that come embedded inside of bracelets or clips that hook onto your clothing. They measure your daily activity (steps taken and calories burned), sleep, and through an associated app, diet. Below I list some of the common trackers.
- 1. Apple Watch
Everyone knows that Apple is about to launch the Apple Watch which will have a plethora of health and fitness functionalities. However the Apple Watch heavily relies on the iPhone to function and is not really considered a standalone device. But I want to focus on one interesting feature which is that ten minutes before each hour, the Apple Watch taps on their arms as an alert to ecourage you to stay active or just simply stand up. I can see this being essential for people who want to stay active but find they lose track of time when they work.
- 2. Jawbone UP
The company’s wearable activity tracker, Jawbone UP includes a step counter, sleep tracker and an idle alert, which offers reminders to users by buzzing if they are inactive. What is neat about Jawbone is that it links to your calendar from your iPhone and see what your schedule is with meetings and we can say — rather than buzzing you during the middle of your board meeting — we can actually wait until the end and give you some insight.
- 3. Nike+ Fuelband
What is good about the Nike+ Fuelband activity tracker is that lets you set an activity goal, you can press a button on an LED screen to check your progress, and displays a green light when you have achieved your goal. However it can be inaccurate if for some reason you happen to move your hands swiftly throughout the day.
- 4. Fitbit One
Fitbit One is the best holistic tracking of activity, diet and sleep and is good value compared to some of the other activity trackers. The app creates graphs, charts and tools based on your data and lets you easily log food, water, weight, food plans and more. It is especially good for women as you can clip it in the center of your bra, rather than trying to blend in a wrist based activity tracker with your outfit.
Applications
“I’ll help you unclog your mind and uncramp your body”, is the promise of HotSeat health app that turns short breaks into meaningful activity through nudges and social accountability. What I like about this application is that it allows you to create competition – which are always very motivational!
Darma – The Hitech Cushion
Digital health upstart Darma have developed a cushion that aims to help people take control of their sitting habits. It helps you remember to maintain good posture when sitting down for long periods of time. The cushion contains one millimeter-thick fiber optic sensors that sense the user’s movements. The pillow also has embedded sensors that detect heart rate, stress level, and respiration. All of this information is sent to a companion app on the user’s smartphone. The app can then track a user’s stress level, sitting time, and posture and try to motivate users to get up every now and then. It will also alert users when they’ve slipped into a bad position and explain how to correct their posture. If users are feeling back pain, the app can guide them through stretches that might help relieve it. To me this more directly provides relevant information to help my clients than some of the more wearable technology solutions. I am looking forward to its launch later this year, until then there is always massage!
Related Posts
Is eating organic food worth it?
I have often wondered weather paying that bit more for organic food is worth it. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. I normally buy organic eggs and meat but with vegatables I am really not very consistent. I know with organic vegatables you get less pesticides but is it worth it. I know in the past studies have shown that there was no benefit. However recently researches in France tracked 68,946 adults and decided to compare cancer rates in people who eat organic food and those who didn't. They discovered that eating organic food
- reduces your risk of cancer by 25%
- reduces your risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma by 73%
- reduces your risk of post-menopausal breast cancer by 21%
How to combat sitting all day
Sitting all day is a current health concern. While I know that sitting all day has been described as "the new smoking" until now this made me uncomfortable - as its not the same. You can get help to quit smoking. If you work in an office you are expected to sit and standing desks are rare, so you have no choice but to sit down. While I am aware that smoking is an addiction, I think it is still more within the individual's control than sitting if you work in an office. I am an optimistic person by nature, so I don't want to be the voice of doom for my readers about sitting. So I was very interested in some recent research which demonstrates how to limit the impact of sitting. Spending much of the day sitting around increases the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and ultimately, death - with 50,000 people anually in the UK dying as a result, say researches from Queen's University in Belfast. Around 30% of adults spend at least six hours a day during the week sitting and this rises to 37% at weekends. Roughly one-thrid of people who are sedentary will have at least two major health conditions, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Researchers from the American Cancer Society estimate that just 30 minutes of some physical activity would halve the death rates from chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. So 30 minutes of physical activity per day (like walking) is what researchers currently think is required to combat sitting all day. References Journal Epidemiol Community Health. 2019 Jul;73(7):625-629. doi:10.1136/jech-2018-211758 Americal Journal of Preventive Medicine, Mortality Risk Reductions for Replacing Sedentary Time with Physical Activities, Rees-Punia, Erika et al. Volume 56, Issue 5, 736-741
Introduction to Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) also called muscle fever, is the pain and stiffness everyone is familiar with after strenuous exercises. It is noticeable worse 24 to 72 hours after exercise and it can occur anywhere in the body. However it is more memorable when it affects the lower body i.e. the legs, due to it being so inhibiting. For a long time the cause of DOMS was thought to be the build up of lactic acid and toxic metabolic waste in the muscles. However this theory has now been thoroughly rejected. While the cause of DOMS is not well understood, the current consensus is that DOMS is a result of inflammation triggered by microscopic tears in connective tissues that sensitise nociceptors and heighten pain. The pain of DOMS and the sever soreness may decrease capacity to perform in subsequent workouts. In addition to physical symptoms for some people it can decrease motivation to exercise. So is the pain worth the gain? The short answer is no. DOMS doesn't mean you will build more muscle although it may enhance it a little. References Brad J Schoenfeld, 2010, The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy & their application to resistance training, Journal of Strengthening & Conditioning Research, vol 24, (10)
