**couch potato http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedentary_lifestyle
A new study from Australia suggests that couch potatoes live shorter lives.
The study followed 8,800 adults ages 25 and older for six and a half years and found that each daily hour of television viewing was associated with an 18 percent increase in deaths from heart disease and an 11 percent increase in overall mortality.
Those who watched television four hours or more a day were 80 percent more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than those who watched two hours or less, and 46 percent more likely to die of any cause. And it did not matter whether they were overweight, according to the study, which appeared Jan. 11 in the online edition of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Although it is possible that people who were already ill watched more television than those who were healthy, the researchers tried to rule that out by excluding subjects who already had heart disease and by adjusting for differences in risk factors like diet and smoking.
While the benefits of physical activity have been well studied, there is growing interest among researchers in assessing the effects of being sedentary.
“For many people, on a daily basis, they simply shift from one chair to another — from the chair in the car to the chair in the office to the chair in front of the television,” said the study’s lead author, David Dunstan of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Victoria, Australia. “Even if someone has a healthy body weight, sitting for long periods still has an unhealthy influence on blood sugar and blood fats.”
January 26, 2010, By RONI CARYN RABIN
Published: January 19, 2010 in the NYTimes
Published: January 19, 2010 in the NYTimes
A new study from Australia suggests that couch potatoes live shorter lives.
The study followed 8,800 adults ages 25 and older for six and a half years and found that each daily hour of television viewing was associated with an 18 percent increase in deaths from heart disease and an 11 percent increase in overall mortality.
Those who watched television four hours or more a day were 80 percent more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than those who watched two hours or less, and 46 percent more likely to die of any cause. And it did not matter whether they were overweight, according to the study, which appeared Jan. 11 in the online edition of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Although it is possible that people who were already ill watched more television than those who were healthy, the researchers tried to rule that out by excluding subjects who already had heart disease and by adjusting for differences in risk factors like diet and smoking.
While the benefits of physical activity have been well studied, there is growing interest among researchers in assessing the effects of being sedentary.
“For many people, on a daily basis, they simply shift from one chair to another — from the chair in the car to the chair in the office to the chair in front of the television,” said the study’s lead author, David Dunstan of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Victoria, Australia. “Even if someone has a healthy body weight, sitting for long periods still has an unhealthy influence on blood sugar and blood fats.”
I totally agree with this article. It is helathier to be about and around. However sometimes it is not possible. I have a hard time. This si my story: I live in Galicia, where it rains a lot, and when I say a lot I mean A LOT, so then I have one baby and a four years old girl, and my flat is quite small, so I would appreciate any ideas in order to keep us moving.
ReplyDeleteBest regards,
Warenka
Why don't you write "how to exercise at home" in any search engine? You will be surprised to find many videos and info.
ReplyDeleteouch! I'm more than a couch potato, I'm working at home and of course living here, so I don't need to go out for almost anything... =S
ReplyDeleteIs that a coach potato or cocooning? :-)
ReplyDeleteWarenka, I understand you perfectly. I live in Asturias where it also rains a lot. And I have a 4 year old... I have bought an elliptical bicycle (which is huge and occupies half of my living-room) in order to move my body while my son is sleeping (he goes to bed at 20:30 so that leaves me a little time for me). Sometimes I also work up alongside Jane Fonda while watching one of her aerobic video-tapes (in English, by the way). But all said, I never can work out more than twice a week (and for less that 45 minutes each time).
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Covadonga
moving and moving yourself, anyway move your body.
ReplyDeleteCheeers from zaragoza. george
Covadonga, I wish we all had such a strong will power!!
ReplyDeleteLucía, you are right Covadonga has a strong will power, remember the saying "where there is a will there is a way" which I believe it's a translation for our "querer es poder". It's a matter of mental attitude, we should put in our mind it is good for us and keep on telling ourself about the benefits of it. I am a convinced believer that the mind is a muscle and as such we have to work on it.
ReplyDeleteI used to practice a lot of exercices such as swimming and basket. Lately I do not practice almost anything. I like very much walking but it is true that I feel a bit coach potatoe as I spend a lot of time sat on my sofa reading and writing on the net.
ReplyDeleteWhen we are tired...but we must try!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI think that I am a couch potato too. When I was younger I used to ride on bicycle and I did a few kilometers but since I had my first baby (nearly ten years ago) my life have change and nothing is the same. In summer the thing change because children are on holiday and we go out to the country, to the swimming pool... Nevertheless, I think that all people are a little couch potato in winter, don't you think so?
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Cristina
I totally agree with you, Cristina!! In winter, I tend to stay at home and watch a lot of TV (even though my UNED studies like all of you cause me to be sitting in front of a book a great deal of time too!). Yes, we may also become more apathetic as we grew older due to personal circumstances but it´s really important to force oneself to keep up a regular regime of physical exercise. In my case, I´m 42 and I try pretty hard to go to the gym regularly. Being a couch potato at my age would have potentially disastrous long-term physical effects!!
ReplyDeleteTo all of you who tend to be couch potatoes in winter due to the rain, I have an advice; join the Wii world. It is a nice way to entertain yourself during those horrible days and at the same time you do physical exercises. Sometimes they are so exciting and that get so tense that next day you are stiff. If you think that to buy a Wii is expensive think of all the money you would expend in gym fees!!!. I love practicing sports and going to the gym, so I bought the Wii when realizing that on those horrible raining days I could do nothing of the kind.
ReplyDeleteI also know what it means a long and a rainy winter... and staying at home with your children around you without many possibilities of going anywhere. So as soon as my younger son started attending school I wanted to go to the gym again, for a change. Now I've got to recognize I'm hooked on "spinning". Althought many times I feel really tired I try not missing my classes since I think it is not only good for my legs but also for my mind. Practising sports makes me think I can face almost everything in life, including studing again despite the fact that I'm forty years old and it could seem a little bit crazy (that's precisely what my mother says: A tu edad!!!)
ReplyDeleteWell, well,well, your advice seems really better than being on the couch!! I'll have to try everything you recommend and see ... ;-)
ReplyDeleteJe, je, I see I'm not the only one whose mother says: At your age!
ReplyDeleteCheers Cris
I'm agree with all of you.But this year I have been going to swim 2 days a week and it makes to feel better. It's true that in the north rains a lot but people who lives there they make a lot of exercise like swimming, football, spinning...The really problem is that you cannot have much time to do it.
ReplyDeleteI agree
ReplyDeleteGym-flooring.co.uk offers the most exciting offers for gym floor mats for sale. The sales are safe under the transparent payment mechanism so never bother about any type of fraud.
ReplyDeleteJust remember a simple tibetan word: KALIPE, that means `Still stand and calm´. I´ts hard not to be a couch potato for people like me, that are office workers. But if we try, we can do it. G. D. M.
ReplyDelete