The majority of us spend a good deal of time each day sitting, or carrying out almost no activity. This inactive time is referred to as ‘sedentary’ or ‘sitting’ time.
Sedentary behaviour is not the same as a lack of physical activity. People who do enough physical activity each day may still spend a considerable amount of time in sedentary activities.
Research suggests that high levels of sedentary time can contribute to weight gain. Think about the time you spend in these sedentary activities:
- Sitting down at work
- Watching TV
- Playing video games
- Using the computer and internet
- Reading a book or magazine
- Sitting and talking to friends
- Sitting down while listening to music
- Sitting down while talking on the phone
- Driving or being a passenger in a car
It’s not hard to rack up the hours!
Follow the tips below to make your leisure and work time more active.
Tips to reduce your inactive time
- Monitor the time you spend carrying out leisure-time activities that are inactive, such as those listed above.
- Set yourself a goal of a maximum amount of ‘screen time’ for leisure each day, as much of our time spent being inactive involves watching TV, playing video games or using a computer.
Can you make a healthier choice?
Click here for great everyday activity ideas!