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SALT LAKE CITY — You may have heard the term 'sitting is the new smoking.' Well, not only does it increase your risk of heart disease, but new studies say that an extra 40 minutes a day of couch potato behavior will dramatically increase your risk of getting type two diabetes.
Think about it. Our daily activities naturally revolve around sitting. In the car, at the office, eating dinner, watching TV. Some days you need to really get creative and make an effort to get up and move. Sedentary behavior kick-starts a myriad of other diseases like type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and other chronic conditions.
So how do we break this bad habit? The first step is to really take notice of how much we sit every day. Making an effort to move a few minutes every hour is good for your heart and mind. Betty Wade, a certified diabetes educator at Heber Valley Medical Center, recommends people "have 30 minutes of physical activity that's breathtaking each day."
Simple baby steps like using a fitness tracker can remind you to move. When watching TV, get up and move during commercial breaks. Whatever steps you take, your body will be better for it. Jenniffer is a Special Projects Producer who heads up the Your Life Your Health, Zero Fatalities and High 5 initiatives. For questions, feedback or possible story ideas, please email jmichaelson@ksl.com.
