2 Minutes Can Prevent Heart Disease, Diabetes and Cancer

Are you sitting down? Stand up and walk away from your chair. Do it now, it could save your life. Every minute you spend with your butt in the chair increases the odds that you will develop heart disease, diabetes and/or cancer. On the flip side of that, every minute you spend with your butt out of the chair decreases the odds of you developing these diseases. Work demands constrain many of us to a desk and chair for hours each day, increasing our waistlines and disease risks, according to an American Cancer Society study. Getting up every 30 minutes for just 1-2 minutes can prevent heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Mini Breaks

The 2 minutes you get up does not have to be used doing any type of exercise. Simply standing up makes your body work harder than when you are sitting down, but the 1-2 minutes will be a better investment in your health if you walk to the bathroom or water cooler. Take a mini break every 30 minutes to stand up and walk around the room.

Why 2 Minutes Work

The act of standing up from a seated position and walking, even just a few steps, forces the larger muscles in your legs and back to contract. That muscle contraction activates an enzyme that cues the muscles to take in fat and sugar from your bloodstream and burn as expended calories. Less fat and sugar in the bloodstream, less risk for developing high cholesterol and diabetes. The extra calories burnt help keep the pounds from adhering to our frames and that also helps prevent heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Colon cancer is more prevalent among those who sit the most, perhaps having something to do with a sedentary lifestyle hindering the normal elimination process.

Easy Reminders

Get in a habit of doing certain things while standing up, like talking on the phone, or use a visual reminder like an egg timer on your desk. Use the computer while standing when possible or invest in a new adjustable-height stand-up desk that enable the user to stand while doing computer work or other desk-related tasks.

Don't keep a bottle of water or cup of coffee on your desk, get up and walk to get each cup of refreshment you want during the day.

Just Get Up

If you can't walk around, stand up behind your chair and raise and lower yourself by flexing your toes. Hold onto the chair and do some squats or raise and lower your arms over your head a few times.

Just get up for 2 minutes every 30 minutes to help prevent heart disease, diabetes and cancer.