Take a Stand against Sitting’s Dangers—and Get Moving

If you haven’t heard, you may want to sit down for the bad news (but not for long): Sitting is harmful to your health. Being seated for long periods of time can increase the risk for diabetes, heart disease, obesity, kidney problems and even premature death—and you’re still at risk if you exercise regularly, but spend most of your day in a chair.

The good news, according to a recent article in the New York Times, is that researchers have looked at what kind of movement might help counter the harmful effects of sitting. They found that people who took a break from sitting and went for a short stroll reduced their risk of premature death by 33 percent, compared to people who stayed in their seats.

Jill Miller, Conscious Movement expert and fitness celebrity, also notes that sitting all day weakens muscles throughout the body and over-stretches and weakens the tissues. A pioneer in forging relevant links between the worlds of fitness, yoga, massage and pain management, Jill demonstrates self-myofascial release to correct these issues and others.