Biologist and movement teacher Jeannette Loram joins to discuss the implications of prolonged sitting on health and aging. They unpack a recent article highlighting the risks versus benefits of sitting, revealing how it contributes to cellular aging and various health issues. Katy critiques the common advice to offset sitting with exercise, likening it to poor dental care habits. The conversation emphasizes the need for small movements in daily life and stresses the importance of body posture and alignment for overall well-being.
Prolonged sitting can biologically age individuals by up to eight years, highlighting its serious impact on long-term health.
Movement isn't just about structured exercise; incorporating small, regular activities throughout the day can vastly improve well-being.
Understanding sitting as a nuanced behavior rather than wholly negative is critical for creating balanced health strategies.
Deep dives
Upcoming Move Your DNA Weekend in the UK
A Move Your DNA weekend will occur in Argyle, Scotland, on May 3rd and 4th, offering a comprehensive exploration of natural movement principles. Participants will engage with all 40 exercises outlined in Katie Bowman's book, learning to adapt these movements to their personal needs for enhanced wellness. The event aims to empower individuals to incorporate more movement into their daily lives, alleviating pain and promoting overall health. For those outside the UK, additional events are scheduled in Belgium and various locations in the U.S., creating opportunities for widespread participation.
Role of Movement in Daily Life
The importance of movement in everyday life is highlighted, emphasizing its critical role in maintaining long-term health and wellness. The hosts discuss contemporary public awareness surrounding sedentary behavior and its implications, particularly as many begin to consider lifestyle changes with the approach of the new year. They underline the need to reassess daily habits, suggesting that incorporating simple movement strategies can significantly impact well-being. The conversation underscores how movement isn't merely about formal exercise but about integrating more activity throughout the day.
Sedentary Behavior and Its Effects
The discussion addresses the negative impacts of prolonged sitting, underscoring how it can accelerate physical aging and diminish fitness levels. Research is referenced, indicating that excessive sitting may biologically age individuals by up to eight years, even when regular exercise is incorporated into their routines. This biological perspective shifts the view on sitting from merely a lifestyle choice to a significant health concern. The hosts advocate for breaking up sitting time with small movement snacks, which can cultivate healthier habits and mitigate the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
Understanding the Complexity of Sitting
The podcast delves into the misconception that sitting itself is inherently bad while clarifying the nuances of sitting behavior and its long-term implications. It emphasizes that while some sitting is natural and necessary, spending excessive time in a constrained position is problematic. The hosts discuss the different physical and physiological effects of prolonged sitting versus the benefits of regular movement, stressing that an effective approach to health does not involve simply substituting sitting with more exercise. This dialogue indicates a need for a balanced perspective on movement and resting behaviors.
Movement Snacks and Habits
The concept of 'movement snacks' is introduced, encouraging listeners to incorporate brief periods of activity throughout the day to counteract sedentary habits. These small, manageable movements can significantly enhance body awareness and reduce discomfort caused by prolonged sitting. By establishing a habit of regularly standing up or stretching, individuals can foster a healthier relationship with their bodies. The hosts draw comparisons to daily routines like brushing teeth, highlighting the simplicity and necessity of integrating movement into everyday life to combat the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle.
Biomechanist Katy Bowman talks to biologist Jeannette Loram about a recent New York Times article “ Why Sitting All Day May Shorten Your Life”. Katy was a source for this article and she talks with Jeannette about the journalistic process, and why the short-form might be letting us down.
Katy and Jeannette talk about the benefits of sitting as well as the risks associated with uninterrupted hours in a chair. They discuss sitting as a two-part issue; first the inactivity and second the fixed body geometry. Katy and Jeannette discuss recent research showing that long hours of sitting are associated with a more rapid rate of cellular aging and how many experiences we put down to aging: muscle and bone loss, low energy levels and low back pain are really influenced by how much we sit.
Katy and Jeannette critique the recommendation to offset hours in a chair by increasing exercise time, noting that this is not really how biology works. Katy suggests that this approach is a bit like flossing your teeth diligently while not brushing them.
SPONSORS: THE DYNAMIC COLLECTIVE
This episode of The Move Your DNA podcast is brought to you by The Dynamic Collective, a group of six companies that create products and services helping you to move more. The Dynamic Collective is: - Peluva:reimagining minimalist footwear
