Sitting is Killing you

Gretchen Reynolds from the New York Times offers up a very good summary of why we should not remain sedentary. 

1. Insulin levels go up.
2. Oxidative processes increase.
3. Watching an hour of TV while sendentary takes 22 minutes off your life - Australian Study.

The studies quoted are similar to others noted in this blog.  Exercise outside of work only helps a little.  It is very important to break up periods of sitting with breaks of standing and moving around. Insulin levels will creep up if people remain seated but they will remain stable even if there is only a two minute break to stand.

A series of provacative graphics was produced by medicalbillingandcoding.org and is available from cubical bot.

I have posted the graphics below.

Laughter Yoga

Interesting videos on the health benefits from Laughter Yoga. The first one includes a clip from John Cleese.

Laughter Yoga with John Cleese - 3 min. 

This is a website link for the Laughter Yoga organization.  According to the video the physiological benefits from laughter occur even if we initially fake it. 

Laughter Yoga - Discovery Channel - 6 min. 

Accessiblity guidelines for buildings and facilities

ADA and ABA accessibility guidelines for buildings and facilities are available online.  It includes a section defining terms and diagrams for areas with wheel chair accessibility.

http://www.adabathroom.com/mirrorada.gif

 

 

I had to spend a brief time in a motorized scooter to get around the summer of 2011 and am very appreciative of the efforts to improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities.

Low level of activity increases Alzheimer's risk

A USA Today article outlines the risk to seniors of inactivity.  Seniors in the lowest 10% of activity level had a more than 2X greater chance of contracting the disease in a four year study.  Activities included card playing, dishwashing and gardening. 

Exercising your brain also appears to be helpful.  A Huffington Post article suggests that mental activities such as reading and game playing throughout life reduces the number of amyloid plaques on the brain. 

Sitting most of the day is equivalent to the heart attack risk of smoking

The Wall Street Journal reports on the need to rapidly recognize the symptoms of a heart attack.  The worst thing you can do is lie down and rest. You may never wake up.

Below is a chart on prevention and survival from the Mayo Clinic.