Sitting around may seem like a relaxing way to pass several hours. And working at a desk job all day might seem to be easier on your body than a job that calls for strenuous activity. But, although sitting for short periods can provide rest for your muscles, new studies show that people who sit still for too long can damage their hearts. In fact, the longer you sit, the greater your risk of heart damage.
Many people believe that as long as they get in some form of exercise, it’s okay to stay sitting down for hours. This is simply not true. In fact, people who sit on a regular basis, whether at home or at work, create an unhealthy situation for their body.
People who watch a lot of television and office workers often find themselves sitting for as many as forty hours a week. This prolonged sitting contributes to multiple diseases.
The risk of diabetes is elevated. Cardiovascular disease can also develop, along with high blood pressure and joint problems.
You may think that all you have to do is make sure you get in enough exercise on the weekends, or maybe a time or two a week. But that sporadic exercise cannot undo the damage that prolonged sitting causes.
If you sit for too long, you can develop enough heart damage to result in heart failure. Your heart becomes unable to keep up with your body’s demands.
Blood no longer circulates properly. Your muscles don’t get adequate blood flow and oxygen. Your legs swell. Walking becomes impossible.
Maybe you thought sitting was good for the heart, giving it rest. But your heart is a muscle, and like all the muscles in the body, it needs regular exercise to maintain good pumping condition.
In a recent study, doctors looked at the presence of troponins in heart muscle. They found that the presence of these proteins signified a problem with the heart.
Based on those findings, doctors can tell when the future health of the heart is in jeopardy. In one group study, people had their activity monitored. At the end of the study, blood troponin levels were tested. People who sat for longer periods of time with little or no exercise had higher troponin levels, indicating that their hearts were headed for trouble.
In those who exercised, troponin levels were within normal range. Sedentary people tend to have higher levels of troponins and, in most cases, are unaware of the danger to their heart.
Meanwhile, lowering troponin is simple with more movement. One way to ensure that you’re getting the right amount of movement in your daily life is to use something that tracks your fitness.
The Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate and Fitness Wristband is an easy way to accomplish that. This gadget tracks all the data, reading it from your body throughout the day by use of an accelerometer. It relies on heart rate tracking and gives you the information you need to maintain a healthy heart. You’ll have better targeted and more specific exercises when you know how it’s impacting your body.
The heart zones let you know the benefits you’re gaining during your exercise routine by alerting you to the zone your heart is in. You can hit the fat burn zone, the cardio, or the peak.
If the heart icon isn’t colored in, it means that you’re out of zone. This gadget has the PurePulse heart rate feature, allowing you to monitor the calories you’re burning during your workouts.
You can use the Fitbit to track your stats during multiple sports activities. It also has a connected GPS. At a glance, you’ll be able to see your cardio fitness level. This Fitbit can even be used for Guided Breathing Sessions, one of my favorites.
This feature enables you to find your relaxation breathing rate. It will help you find moments of calmness throughout your day. It’s very easy to use. Just bring up the Breathe function and set the session option. Then breathe deeply until the Fitbit calibrates your breathing. One of the handiest features of this Fitbit is that you’re able to set reminders.
These reminders can be personalized. They alert you when it’s time for you to move. For instance, you can set it to remind you to do some type of activity every sixty minutes with a goal of reaching at least 250 steps every hour.
This goal can help protect your heart from the danger of sitting too much. The device also allows you to receive call, text or calendar alerts so that you see important messages with caller ID.
When you use the track feature that keeps up with your all day activities, you’ll be able to see the number of steps you’ve taken, the distance you’ve traveled, the calories you’ve burned, and how long you were active for the day.
This Fitbit will also track your sleep, including the stages. It has a vibrating alarm. The device can be synced, so you can use it with other devices. The band it comes with is comfortable and comes in black, blue or plum. It’s interchangeable and replacement bands come in a variety of styles. The display screen is large and easy to read. The battery life is 5 days.
Go HERE and get one now! Wear it every day, like I do. Stop sitting!
