Gotta Get Up to Get Down

by Leslie Aronson — May 2, 2008

It's time to get up off that chair - but not for the usual guilt-inducing reasons. While you might need to get up because you need to quit being lazy, there are other less subjective reasons at work as well. According to Body + Soul magazine, researchers from the University of Missouri suggest that sitting for too many hours a day can slow your cholesterol and fat metabolisms. Sitting for long periods of time can "shut off enzymes in the blood vessels of muscles responsible for fat-burning." But the simple action of just standing up can reactivate those enzymes and keep your metabolism at a healthy rate. So what happens if you work at a desk all day and have to sit down for hours at a time? Try to take frequent breaks - you don't have to take a substantial break, just a few minutes of not sitting can help. If there are tasks you can do while standing instead of sitting, like filing or phone calls, do it, because the less time you spend on your behind the happier your metabolism (and you) will be.