Published: Nov 4, 2016 by Lucy Tennyson
We all know we spend too much time sitting down. You’ve probably heard that “sitting is the new smoking” — the looming health risk in the computer age. A proliferation of studies over the past decade has linked prolonged stretches of sedentariness to an uptick in the risk of diabetes, heart disease, even cancer.
The average Briton spends an average of 14 hours and 39 minutes sitting down every day, according to a recent survey by Weight Watchers, and only does 50 minutes of exercise each week - a quarter of what is recommended. And 52 per cent of people admitted on most days the only exercise they get is the short stroll between house and car.
So, how much time should we be on our feet?
A consensus statement published June 2015 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine recommended that people in desk jobs aim initially for two hours of standing or light walking each day, gradually building to four hours of nonsedentary activity during the day.
If that sounds daunting, yoga can help. For example, some muscles around the hips can shorten if they haven’t been stretched out enough in the day, leading ultimately to hip problems - but these can easily be targetted through a range of postures.
We focussed on the hip flexors this week, and below is a reminder of some of what we did in class, including warm ups and moves for the hips. And if you have to spend long periods sitting down in front of a computer, try and get up and have a good stretch out every half hour or so (speaking of which ……).
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