How Many Rvers Have the Sitting Disease

[Libero]

Mike Wendland, a road reporter for FMCA, has a good article in Vol 51 No 4 edition article 78 titled “Open Mike” of the FMCA Coaching Magazine. Mike provides a good overview of the “Sitting Disease”, as it relates to RV folks and he provides recommended actions to counter the effects of this malady.

While this is not news to many, it is a reminder to couch potato’s, those who drive for hours without taking frequent exercise breaks or others who live a sedentary lifestyle, that the “sitting disease” can be as life threatening as being a heavy smoker for example. Hmmm – something to think about.

Here are excerpts of his article:

“You still may be laughing at the term "sitting disease." Don't. No less an authority than the Mayo Clinic recognizes this issue. The experts are seriously concerned about the problem. That's because when you sit for long periods of time — more than four hours — your body literally starts to shut down at the metabolic level, according to Marc Hamilton, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Missouri”:

"For people who sit most of the day, their risk of heart attack is about the same as smoking,” said Dr. Martha Grogan, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic. Sitting for four or more hours a day has about the same adverse effect on your health as smoking a pack and a half of cigarettes every day.

Just wondered how many RVer’s take exercise breaks , and really do exercise, every 2 hours (or less) to mitigate the long term debilitating effects of the “sitting disease”. The maximum I remain sedentary is less than 2 hrs regardless if I am driving or not, unless I am sleeping of course, but when I read of people driving for 12 hours etc. and covering hundreds of miles, it would seem that those folks are driving themselves to an early grave.

Tried to link the article, but it required a login to read it.

[aauummm]

I take breaks every hour or so (I have a wife who likes to stop so that she can go to the bathroom). I have the reverse disease from the one in the article-I can't sit still and hardly ever do.

[Selah]

I have two dogs who's sole life purpose is to make sure I get enough exercise. The female demands her nightly walk between 8:30 and 9:30 every night, rain or shine. And if I try and make it a short walk she will politely go inside and then bark at me until I take her back out. I do between a mile and a mile and a half each night, This doesn't include the daytime walks. These can be shorter though.
I have a Jawbone Up bracelet that tracks steps. I do between 8K and 11K steps daily. Except on driving days. Hard to get that many steps when your sitting for 4 to 5 hours.
As I speak she is sitting at the door giving me little low level barks, we call it berfing. Something between a growl and a bark. Gota go now.