The human body is designed to move.
For thousands of years, that’s exactly what we did.
Recent technological advances began chipping away at physical activity, and people became increasingly sedentary. Whether it’s working, driving, or watching TV, the impacts of sedentary lifestyles, often referred to as “sitting disease,” maybe one of the most unanticipated health threats of our modern time.
A study from the American Cancer Society finds a link between long periods of sitting and a higher risk of death from all causes, including 8 of the 10 most common causes of death.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY - Patel, A. Prolonged Leisure Time Spent Sitting in Relation to Cause-Specific Mortality. (6), 2018
“To understand movement is to understand the whole brain. And therefore it’s important to remember when you are studying memory, cognition, and sensory processing, they’re there for a reason, and that reason is action.”
DR. DANIEL WOLPERT - Neuoscientist
Studies show that a sedentary lifestyle along with too much sitting is linked to degeneration in regions of the brain that are critical to memory formation. Thinning in this brain region can be a precursor to cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
SCIENCE DAILY - April 12, 2018
Study results have demonstrated associations of prolonged sitting time with premature mortality and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity.
PREVENTIVE CHRONIC DISEASE - Pronk, N. Ph.D. Katz, A. Ph.D, Reducing Occup. Sitting Time and Improving Worker Health
Too much time sitting and sedentary behaviour is linked to an increased risk of depression. ADHD and anxiety in adolescents.
THE LANCET PSYCHIATRY - Kandola, A, Lewis, G. Depressive symptoms and objec- tively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour.
Dr. Ryno Tope is a Doctor of Chiropractic, a member of the New Zealand Chiropractic Association, and owner of Structural Chiropractic in Hastings, Hawke’s Bay. Dr. Tope focuses on an area of chiropractic called Structural Correction and has been in practice for 6 years. You can reach Dr. Tope at drryno@structuralchiro.co.nz or 06•651•1004. You can also follow the Structural Chiropractic Facebook page (www.facebook.com/StructuralChiropracticHB).
The longer days and warmer weather are a perfect combination to take up regular exercise. Read more here.