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Small Steps Are Better Than No Steps

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Even simple activities such as washing dishes can have a positive impact on your health.

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By MARY SHEDDEN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 25, 2009

It's quite possible you're parked on your tookus right now, smack dab in the middle of sedentary behaviorland.

Medical researchers say that's a dangerous place to hang. Spend too much time sitting, reclining or lying down in front of the TV, at the computer, or riding in the car, and you're boosting the odds you'll develop problems ranging from obesity to cardiovascular disease.

No one's surprised that sedentary behavior isn't healthful, still American children and adults spend about 7.7 hours a day in this mode, according to a 2008 study released in the American Journal of Epidemiology. And that's not counting the eight hours of sleep we get each night on average.

Charles Matthews, a Vanderbilt University assistant professor of medicine and lead author of the study that used body meters to track movement, maintains most people don't take the risks seriously.

They might, some other researchers suggest, if people saw sedentary behavior as something similar to secondhand tobacco-smoke exposure.

"Could something as ordinary as sitting in chairs be plausibly grouped among other major health hazards?" asks Neville Owen, an Australian researcher who in another 2008 study proposed that sedentary behavior is insidious.

At a recent American Heart Association national conference held in Palm Harbor, Matthews suggested that the way to combat the problem is to encourage people to cut the couch potato time by incorporating more light-to-moderate activity into a day.

Standing, doing dishes, getting the kids ready for school, all are light activities that add up and keep you moving, Matthews says. Considering that most people spend just 1 percent to 5 percent of their day in vigorous physical activity, why not approach wellness from a place where people are more comfortable, he says.

His approach is similar to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's 2008 physical activity guidelines, which recommend that adults spend at least 300 minutes a week in moderate aerobic activity, in spurts of at least 10 minutes.

Some people laugh at the idea that the government added gardening and housework to the list of suggested sources of exercise, but Matthews contends there's a point to these recommendations.

Would more people be active if they took Matthews' advice that any physical activity is better than nothing? I'm skeptical when I visit shopping center parking lots and witness cars idling for 10 minutes just so they can get a spot close to the store entrance. Or when I see someone call or e-mail a co-worker across the room instead of getting up to ask a question.

But I'm also an advocate that the best way to improve is through slow, steady changes. And yes, getting started will be the hardest step for some people. So here's a little motivation to get going, and to get your motor running at whatever speed you feel comfortable:

Women and girls looking to move a little or a lot can sign up for the sixth annual Aflac Iron Girl 10K & 5K, to be held April 4 at Clearwater's Coachman Park. Participants can walk or run the course - so don't feel pressured to hit a personal best. Visit www.irongirl.com/Events/Clearwater.htm for details.

•National Start Walking Day is April 8. The American Heart Association event challenges individuals to get out and walk for 30 minutes - at home, or at work. There's a free Web site to hold you accountable: www.StartWalkingNow.org.

Want to share your health and fitness idea? Contact me at (813) 259-7365 or mshedden@tampatrib.com. And visit my blog, "Take Two and Call Your Mother" at www.tbo.com, keywords, Take Two.

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