Your Job May Be Doubling Your Risk of Early Death

If you sit in front of a computer for just 4 hours a day, then you could be summoning the Grim Reaper.How? A recent study conducted by Dr. Emmanuel Stamatakis at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health from the University College London has proven that people like you and me – those tethered to our computers for the seemingly innocent act of earning a paycheck – are 50% more likely to get heart disease.

Heart disease is like a beacon guiding death to your door.

It’s not bad enough that you sit all day at work, but what do you do when you get home? Sit down to dinner. Plop down on the couch. Watch cable or play a video game to unwind. Maybe even have a drink…

If you sit at home too, you’re increasing your risk even more. The longer you are sedentary, the higher your risk of suffering the fatal effects of this silent killer.

I say silent killer because you could have it and not even know it, until it’s too late.

This study also suggests that people who spend more spare time on their butts in the car, in front of the computer or watching TV increase their risk of heart disease by 125%. Truly is a shocking realization of what we believe is normal, everyday life.

So, if sitting around is the problem, then you may be thinking moving around is the solution and exercise should break the cycle.

Better think again.

Dr. Stamatakis has determined that exercise was ineffective as a counter-measure to the damage we do simply by taking a seat.

There was no change in the risk of heart disease in study participants who boasted more than 2 hours exercise per day, versus those who admitted less.

There’s one very good reason why our lifestyles are betraying us and inviting death. Sitting around for extended hours could trigger inflammation, which nourishes deadly heart problems.

It’s all about high levels of an inflammation maker called C-Reactive Protein. Since its discovery in 1930, this nasty little protein has been responsible for white blood cell invasions, inflammation and infection. It’s actually used as a marker for heart disease and is most easily found (twice as much) in folks who sit in front of a computer or television screen for more than 4 hours a day, compared to those who clocked in less than 2 hours.

Dr. Gerald Fletcher says, “The body needs to move around in order to break down sugars and triglycerides.” This is the truth from American Heart Association spokesman and cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Florida.

If we’re sitting around on our duffs most of the time, it’s obvious that everything that needs to circulate simply does not.

Worried? Yeah, so was I. What am I supposed to do? Change careers and become a gym teacher? (Not that there’s anything wrong with being a gym teacher. I’m just not qualified.)

So, what about those of us who spent years working in offices…moving from cubicle to cubicle and eventually into a cozy little room of our own with a silk fern and motivational posters? Are we done for?

No. Not us. Not by a long shot.

Because despite what they say about exercise and its ineffectiveness, I’ve found that it can be beneficial – and even imperative – in crushing the risk of heart disease.

You just have to do it right and be diligent about it. You can’t sit all day, or sit in front a computer for a few hours every day, be a “weekend warrior” exerciser and expect to be okay.

Let me tell you what I mean…

Instead of taking the path of least resistance to the coffee machine or water cooler, take the long road. Obviously, we have to be at work. What you do while you’re there could mean the difference between life and death.

Here are some other tips you can use to keep the blood flowing and your body breaking down the sugars and fats:

• Get up and get walking! Taking frequent breaks (as many as you can without being labeled a slacker) to walk around not only clears your head and refreshes your focus, but it also provides the exercise you need to keep your body in shape and defeat inflammation. Set an alarm to remind you when to take a walk.
• Have a ball. If you have the means, put your keister on an exercise ball instead of a chair. It forces you to work on your posture and in doing so powers up your abs and back.
• Take your bathroom breaks to the next level. If you have multiple floors in your building, use the restroom on another level and take the stairs. This is excellent exercise because it relies on resistance training as you pull your weight up each step. Do this 5 or 6 times a day.
• Step back in time. Before email, we had to actually get up and deliver documents or interoffice memos in person! Revisit this simpler, less convenient time and get personal with your fellow office mates. They’ll appreciate your nifty way of doing things and think you’re swell!
• Run for your life. Stand up and run in place – football drill style. Make sure to get your knees as high as you comfortably can. If you’re new to exercising, start off power walking in place, graduate to jogging, then running.

Don’t let something silly like heart disease take you away from those who love and care about you. It’s a senseless disease that can easily be prevented if you don’t sit around. Don’t smoke, don’t be irresponsible with alcohol, eat a healthy diet, and don’t let your derriere stick to the chair or couch.