I have been surprised to learn from "Designed to Move" by Dr. Joan Vernikos that the recent emphasis on less sitting can be related to the space effort. Vernikos is a scientist who has worked with NASA to verify the effects on astronauts' bodies of being in space. She has several books for the general public on the results.
I have heard of and read about new work that says sitting is being overdone these days. Vernikos found the result of being in outer space, where there is only 1/millionth of Earth's gravity is very similar to many of the body results here on earth that we consider to be "aging". She found that the aging markers came on much more rapidly for astronauts than they do for Earth's typical humans. However, she also found that once the astronauts got a chance to move and work in Earth's gravity, they recovered.
For astronauts and others who want to avoid many of the physical deteriorations of aging, Vernikos has direct, simple advice: Stand up.
Standing up often is what matters, not how long you remain standing.
Vernikos, Joan. Sitting Kills, Moving Heals: How Everyday Movement Will Prevent Pain, Illness, and Early Death -- and Exercise Alone Won't (Kindle Location 799). Linden Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Our bodies don't work quite the way many of us believe.
At seminars, I like to ask my audiences how much and how often they exercise. Like me, they have been indoctrinated with the idea that the more exercise you do the better.
Vernikos, Joan. Sitting Kills, Moving Heals: How Everyday Movement Will Prevent Pain, Illness, and Early Death -- and Exercise Alone Won't (Kindle Locations 808-809). Linden Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Dr. Vernikos has two books relevant to the inactivity, immobility problem: "Sitting Kills, Movement Heals" and "Designed to Move". Both are less than $8.00 as Kindle downloads. Both are about the value of light regular movement all day long, not the usual gym exercises. I recommend both of them as new and valuable writing on a subject I thought was shallow and boring but is new, exciting and applicable today.
