Quit the Sit and take a Stand for Better Health
One of Australia’s leading medical research institutes, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute is calling on Australians to ‘quit the sit’ for one day in June to raise awareness and funds to support heart disease and diabetes research.
A growing body of evidence established by leading international and Australian researchers shows a link between too much sitting and increased risk of chronic diseases including heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as premature death.
Head of Physical Activity Research at Baker IDI, Professor David Dunstan says there is now enough evidence to recommend regular breaks during prolonged periods of sitting.
“It is thought that excessive sitting slows the body’s metabolism – which affects our ability to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, and metabolise fat – and may cause weaker muscles and may have detrimental effects on our bones,” Professor Dunstan says.
He says the research shows that doing regular exercise alone may not be enough to counteract the effects of too much sitting. “The amount of time you are inactive also impacts your health,” he says.
“Reducing time spent sitting should be done inaddition to engaging in regular aerobic and strength-developing physical activities,” Professor Dunstan says.
“The best advice is stand up, sit less, move more, more often.”
With the nation facing a rising tide of chronic disease, Baker IDI has established the On Your Feet Australia event, now in its second year, to encourage Australians to stand more often. Australia is understood to be the first country to adopt such an event but other countries are quickly following suit, with campaigns such as Get Britain Standing being introduced.
On Your Feet Australia will be held on Thursday, 11 June to raise awareness of the health dangers of too much sitting and to raise funds for vital medical research. To take the ‘Quit the Sit’ challenge, visit http://www.onyourfeet.org.au/. Registrations open 30 April, 2015.
Baker IDI’s On Your Feet Australia event is sponsored by Schiavello; Humanscale; Fitbit; Art Series Hotel Group; and Anytime Fitness
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