[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/exercise\/is-sitting-the-new-smoking\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/exercise\/is-sitting-the-new-smoking\/","headline":"Is sitting the new smoking? Dr. Brown adds to the conversation","name":"Is sitting the new smoking? Dr. Brown adds to the conversation","description":"Print PDF eBook Facebook Twitter Gmail LinkedIn Pinterest Become a Patron! \u201cIs sitting the new smoking?\u201d This thought-provoking question has made the news a lot, thanks to the work done by Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic.\u00a0 He\u2019s compared the negative health effects of sitting to those of smoking \u2014 including higher risks of […]","datePublished":"2015-02-09","dateModified":"2026-04-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/#Person","name":"Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/author\/brownbetterbonesgmail-com\/","identifier":72,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e08d87bd45250c6616e1752933a6576aba077f335d97ee337a0cde5e435cbd3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Center for Better Bones","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Better-Bones-AMP.png","width":150,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/pablo-41.png","url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/pablo-41.png","height":512,"width":1024},"url":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/exercise\/is-sitting-the-new-smoking\/","about":["Exercise"],"wordCount":467,"keywords":["sitting","exercise"],"articleBody":" Print PDF eBook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFacebook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTwitter\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGmail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedIn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPinterest\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBecome a Patron!\u201cIs sitting the new smoking?\u201d This thought-provoking question has made the news a lot, thanks to the work done by Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic.\u00a0 He\u2019s compared the negative health effects of sitting to those of smoking \u2014 including higher risks of cancers and heart disease \u2014 and described our modern lifestyle of desk jobs and too much screen time as \u201clethal.\u201dI couldn\u2019t agree with Dr. Levine more about the human body\u2019s need to move. And as an anthropologist and a bone researcher, I\u2019m fascinated by new findings that show for millions of years our human ancestors had much high bone density than we do today.Anthropologists discovered this when comparing the bones joints modern humans and chimpanzees and from fossils of extinct humans.It seems that our modern, lighter, human skeletons evolved only 12,000 years ago \u2014 a very short time ago, anthropologically speaking! Specifically, what anthropologists see happening is a thinning of the weight-bearing, inner spongy trabecular bone and a subsequent weakening of bone architecture. This has occurred with the advent of a more sedentary agrarian lifestyle.\u00a0 What I say is that while we will never be as active as our foraging ancestors, there\u2019s a lot we can do get in motion.Here are some ideas for sitting less, moving moreStand while you are on the phoneUse a desk you can stand at or even better \u2014 a treadmill deskTake the stairs \u2013 at home, at the mall, everywhereSet a timer to remind you to get up and move every hourWalk over to a colleague\u2019s desk, rather than emailing.\u00a0 I do this, even though the office is very small!Think of where you can shift your own patterns to include less sitting. For example, if you enjoy watching TV, can you watch it standing up? Or at least stand during commercials?Commit yourself to walking at least 15 minutes twice a day and use weighted vest as appropriateAnd my favorite \u2014 a golfing walk, skip the cartFor more ideas, read my article Exercise and bone health \u2014 use them or lose them or take a look in SHOP for helpful DVDs and exercise equipment to help get you started. References:Chirchir, H et al. Recent origin of low trabecular bone density in modern humans.\u00a0\u00a0 PNAS, early edition, 2015.\u00a0 www.pnas.org\/cgi\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.1411696112Ryan, T and C.\u00a0 Shaw. Gracility of modern Homo sapiens skeletons is a result of decreased bio mechanical loading.\u00a0 edition, 2015.\u00a0 www.pnas.org\/cgi\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.1411696112American Museum of Natural History blog:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.amnh.org\/explore\/news-blogs\/research-posts\/new-research-lightweight-skeletons-of-modern-humans-evolved-recentlyAmerican Museum of Natural History press release: http:\/\/www.eurekalert.org\/pub_releases\/2014-12\/amon-lso121914.phpImage copyright American Museum of Natural History"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Exercise","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/exercise\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Is sitting the new smoking? Dr. Brown adds to the conversation","item":"https:\/\/betterbones.com\/exercise\/is-sitting-the-new-smoking\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]