The symptoms that go along with having a thyroid condition, including depression, apathy, fatigue, body pain, fibromyalgia, and others make it easy to want to sleep and sit a lot. i still have my days, believe me!
A significant part of healing your thyroid condition is not only your diet, but getting up and back into life through movement of some kind. Any kind.
We are included in the studies of masses of Americans who sit – a lot. This is a bad thing.
STUDIES
According to recent research, if Americans cut back on the amount of time spent sitting down, it could add years to their life expectancy.
Unfortunately, most people spend a large portion of each day in a seated position. It’s hard to avoid these days, as computer work predominates, and most also spend many precious hours each week commuting to and from work.
SITTING TAKES A HEAVY TOLL ON YOUR HEALTH
The study estimates that reducing the average time you spend sitting down to less than three hours a day could increase your life expectancy by two years.
Reducing the time you spend watching TV to less than two hours a day could increase it by 1.4 years.
As reported by NBC News:
“‘The study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that sitting itself is deadly. While previous studies have looked at the health risks to the individual, the new study examines the risk of sitting for the whole population, said study researcher Peter Katzmarzyk, of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. The research ‘elevates sedentary behavior as an important risk factor, similar to smoking and obesity,’ Katzmarzyk said.
Other studies have found our culture of sitting may be responsible for about 173,000 cases of cancer each year.
GET UP AND STAY UP!
I’m sitting right now typing in fact! But, I’m about to get up and go for a walk and run some errands – partly in my car, but some walking. And then, go for “a walk” for 20-30 minutes. It’s lovely out today too, a extra bonus.
Part of your thyroid health lifestyle change is to make sure to plan in activity every day if you are in a sedentary job and lifestyle now.
Don’t let your thyroid symptoms stop you. Even if you start at 10 minutes at a time walking around your house or apartment, just down the sidewalk, and then add to it and keep going every day.
Learn more in a full article, more studies, videos and ideas for lifestyle change at Dr. Mercola.com
