Stand: The Impact of Sedentary Behavior and the Journey of John, the Executive Who Ditched Sitting

How much time per day do you spend sitting?

You would be surprised at how long we spend sitting and the impact this has on our health. Due to the nature of most jobs, more people live a sedentary lifestyle, sitting for an average of 8 to 12 hours daily. We sit in the office, watching TV, reading, eating, talking, or just relaxing on our couches.

While this relaxed position might seem harmless, it's actually bad news for our health.

We are made to be active.

Spending much time sitting goes against this and negatively impacts our bodies. It causes problems on our backs, the knees, the hips, and other bone-related health issues because our bones require adequate movement to stay optimum and maintain strength.

Other health factors linked with too much sitting include increased blood sugar, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and body fat around the waist — factors associated with obesity. Also, it can be linked to cardiovascular diseases, among other ailments.

The incredible thing is that when one starts suffering from these ailments, they look for remedies to fix them. They go to the physiotherapist or personal trainer, who will attempt to address the injuries or underlying issues.

Does your back hurt? Let's try to fix that. Is it the knee? Here's how we can remedy that. The problem with this approach is that it's meant to try and fix the symptoms. It fails to address the root cause, which is prolonged sitting.

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

John was one of my clients who achieved tremendous improvement in his health when we sought to address the root of the problem.

He is a prominent executive with the cliche' elegant office with, among other things, the coveted desk and fancy chair. He also possessed a strong personality and had a prominent belly. But John also suffered unending pain, notably in his back and knees. He saw many health practitioners to find a solution, including a physiotherapist, and worked with a trainer for three days weekly. Over and over, yet there were no notable results.

It was like the definition of madness: trying the same things and expecting a different result. So I suggested it was time to consider a more comprehensive approach and introduced our Fit Integrated Wellness program. One of the things I suggested for his case was standing.

What's stopping you from embracing the transformative power of standing more and sitting less? Overcoming prolonged sitting can empower you to unlock a healthier and more vibrant life, with invaluable health benefits. Visit my website to gain more insight.

But then he agreed to take the challenge and started standing for 2 to 4 hours a day, and in no time, everything started to get better. When we measured his hips and waist, we found that his glutes and posterior muscles started getting bigger despite having stopped going to the gym three times a week.

Standing for two to four hours was yielding more results than working out and sitting for 10 to 12 hours daily. His glute muscles became activated and grew thanks to walking and standing. His lower back and knee pain also receded and eventually went away.

He lost 15 pounds and his belly. His colleagues attested to his improved mood. Previously, he had been the gloomy office guy, but now he seemed happier. All it took was getting out of my comfort zone and standing.

Most people don't realize they can lead healthier lives by making simple lifestyle changes, like sitting less, standing more and walking. In addition to improved muscle and reduction of chronic pains, standing contributes to improved metabolism, increases energy and productivity, enhances mood, and lowers stress.

These are just the tips of the iceberg as standing has more benefits like improved bone health and structure, better blood circulation, and faster burning of calories, among other advantages.