We Know Sitting is Bad… But What About Lying Down?

Sitting is not good for your health. If you are a “chair jockey” at work, you need to get up every 15-20 minutes and take a brief stroll around the office. But what about lying down? When we settle in to watch a 3 hour football game, are we better off lying on the couch or sitting in a chair?

Well, it turns out the lack of movement is the problem – and not the body position. According to this article, there was study in 2010 that prompted a group of young men to be as lazy as they wanted in whatever way they wanted. They could start taking elevators instead of stairs, drive instead of bike, anything that prevented them from actually moving as much as they usually did. And it only took two weeks for them to start developing noticeable signs of health issues, including insulin resistance which is what you see in the sedentary and obese. And again, this was only for two weeks, and and there was no standard — some sat more and some spent more time lying on the couch. And it was all bad news.

So yes, while we need sleep to heal and maintain so many functions of our body and mind, once we wake up it is time to start moving.