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25 Thu

Sit less and get younger

Sit less and get younger

Paul Kochoa, PT, DPT, OCS, CKTP, CGFI

 

A New York Times article references two studies that say that sitting is bad for you, and that more standing can even make your cells younger.  I’ve covered sitting, tight muscles, and preventative exercises before, this new article from the NYTimes is just more reason to try and sit less.

One study followed overweight men and women who were 68 years old and put them into two groups, one were given individualized exercise programs and were told to sit less, and the other were just told to do more healthy things.

After six months, they analyzed both groups’ blood and checked their DNA.  They found a relationship between the subjects who sat less and their cells’ telomere length. Telomeres are the end parts of DNA that generally get shorter and shorter as we age.  They act as buffers for the important middle parts of the DNA strand where all the important information is stored.  The shorter the telomeres, the more mutations happen in our DNA strands, causing illness and aging.

The scientists found that the telomeres actually got longer in the group that sat less.  Their cells became, relatively-speaking, younger.

So there you go, another reason why sitting is killing us, making our DNA and lives shorter.  So try and stand up, take breaks, don’t sit so much.  Make a better decision.  Your cells will thank you.

If you would like more information, please call Professional Physical Therapy and Training at 973-270-7417.  Our offices are located within the YMCA locations in Madison and Summit, NJ.  You do not need to be a member of the YMCA to visit us.

 

Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

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