Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Quit the Sit and take a Stand for Better Health

Can you ‘quit the sit’ for one day in June? Or support my challenge?

There are real dangers from too much sitting, as I discussed in the last post. Growing evidence shows a link with increased risk of chronic diseases including heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as premature death.

On Thursday 11th June, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute is calling on people to 'quit the sit' to raise awareness and funds to support heart disease and diabetes research.

Professor David Dunstan says "excessive sitting slows the body’s metabolism – which affects our ability to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, and metabolise fat – and may cause weaker muscles and may have detrimental effects on our bones.” Prof. Dunstan is Head of Physical Activity Research at Baker IDI,

Research shows that doing regular exercise alone may not be enough to counteract the effects of too much sitting. “The amount of time you are inactive also impacts your health,” he says. “The best advice is stand up, sit less, move more, more often.”

To take the ‘Quit the Sit’ challenge, visit http://www.onyourfeet.org.au/. Registrations open 30 April, 2015. You will be helping to raise funds for vital medical research.

You can also support my challenge to raise funds on behalf of Baker IDI, click here.

[I have adapted this post from Baker IDI information]