Footgaming - News

Run, walk or even STAND away from the chair - it's a dangerous item!

Beginning with the ground breaking studies by Dr. James Levine and NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) we started to become more aware of the fitness genius of getting out of our chairs on a regular basis throughout each day. http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/levine_lab/ It was that awareness that lead to both FootGaming and Exerlearning over the past decade.

 We are so busy, so social and so into great "screen" fun that we sit for many more hours a day than we actually realize.  Try this: Log your time between stand and move breaks for a few days. You'll soon become aware that even when you're "on a break" it is easy to stay at a screen and be entertained by what's online.  That habit is what inspired us to develop the FootPOWR - the active mouse controller that is easy to use with any computer. In the past two years we were equally inspired by the ground-breaking work of Dr. John Ratey and his book, SPARK. You can get that book at Dr. Ratey's website.

In a recent study, researchers at the University of Queensland found a link between the amounts of time that subjects spent watching television and the levels of blood glucose and blood cholesterol in their bodies. This held true even if the individuals engaged in regular physical exercise and after such variables as obesity were considered. Further, the researchers found that an enzyme called lipase seems to be responsible for the link between sitting and poor health.

Lipoprotein lipase is the body's natural fat absorber that works only when one stands, says lead researcher Neville Owen. While standing, lipase promotes the absorption of fat and cholesterol into the muscles. When one sits, however, lipase "shuts off" which causes the fat to circulate in the blood until it comes to rest on ones' stomach or hips (as fat) or settles in the arteries leading to heart disease.

This study proves that sitting and poor health are linked and are, indeed, an "insidious" danger, according to Dr. Marc Hamilton.

Reading this inspired me to stand. Ran to the garage to collect a few shelves and a plastic box. My keyboard is now on a plastic box and my monitor is on a shelf 5 inches taller.  I am typing a bit more slowly - but am breathing a sign of relief that my lipase is buzzing along beautifully.

There are now, says Hamilton, many studies that show the negative link between sitting and poor heath. Moreover, many of these studies indicate a heightened risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease for those who spend a disproportionate amount of time sitting.

In his own research study, Hamilton took plasma samples after his research subject ate a meal while sitting. Then he took a plasma sample after the same subject ate the same meal while standing. When the subject ate the meal while sitting, the plasma sample was cloudy (fat). When the subject at the meal while standing, the plasma sample was clear. This is dramatic proof that sitting and poor health are linked, claims Hamilton.

And it makes no difference how physically active you are at other times, say researchers. One may, in fact, exercise for 30 minutes every day and still be susceptible to developing high cholesterol, heart disease and obesity-if one spends much of the rest of the day sitting. (Hamilton's research indicated that those who sat showed a 22 percent reduction in their "good" cholesterol). Lipase "shuts off" when your body (in essence) shuts off, say researchers. In order to mobilize the fat-absorbing components of lipase, therefore, one needs to (at least) stand.

Health Benefits of Standing

Besides activating lipase, standing has a number of other advantages over sitting. Standing, say experts:

• Improves circulation
• Strengthens the muscles of the legs and the back
• Aligns the body thus preventing pain
• Burns more calories (an estimated 60 additional calories are burned per hour-simply by standing).
• Reduces damage to the muscles, ligaments, and discs of the back. Due to poor posture issues, many individuals suffer from such back injuries during periods of "leisure sitting." (Source: Neck Solutions)

It isn't that difficult to  "avoid the chair" whenever possible. I tried this for a week. In my GoogleApps calendar I set an alarm for each 20 minutes during "desk work."  When the alarm went off, was I standing, could I stand then, why not! While on my phone I walked around - sometimes on a longer call I strolled outside. Moving "think breaks" were a lot more productive than sitting and trying to brainstorm - but I had to create a new habit. Frequent standing, says Hamilton, will switch "on" lipase more often.

It wasn't all work - I had fun as well. Even though I already am an avid FootGamer i allowed more FootGame breaks than usual. No guilt when i logged onto facebook (I am "FootGaming" on Facebook) and played Bejeweled Blitz for a few 10-minute sessions.  I tried out Peggle Nights and Bejeweled TWIST.  These 10 minute breaks gave me a full hour of additional and regular activity breaks during a time when i could have just as easily been sitting non-stop.  Productivity? Way better! Aches in my legs - gone!

This is not a small thing. Please take the time to learn more. The existing data, by numerous studies, are starting to show that the rates of heart disease and diabetes and obesity are doubled or sometimes even tripled in people who sit a lot," Dr. Hamilton explains. One reason, he says, is an enzyme called lipase. When it's on, fat is absorbed into the muscles, but when we sit down, lipase virtually shuts off.

"Instead, the fat will recirculate in the blood stream and go and be stored as body fat or it can clog arteries and cause diseases," Dr. Hamilton says. And it's not a small amount of fat. Plasma samples were taken from the same person after eating the same meal. When they ate sitting down, the sample was cloudy, but when they ate while standing up, it was clear.  Please send us your stories or comments.  This research is important and very relevant to almost everyone, from the 4th grader in school to the project manager working late and worrying about health risks.