According to Statistics Canada, Canadians spend about 10 hours of each day being sedentary. That is, not moving. That doesn’t even include the hours when we are sleeping. A recent study by researchers at the Institute of Clinical Evaluative Studies found that standing still too much isn’t good either. In short, whether sitting or standing, we don’t move very much.

And that’s a problem, says Joanne Dorion, a physiotherapist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

“The body wants to move. It was made to move,” she says. Daily activity can help reduce the risk of illness, help us maintain a healthy body weight, and improve our overall mood. Physical activity is also very important for bone and joint health.

In the summer, we are all typically a bit more active, Joanne says. But as summer turns to fall, and a hot afternoon swimming at the cottage becomes a cool evening bingeing on Netflix, it’s time to really think about how much time you spend sitting, laying, or standing still.

“We sit at our desks, or in the car on the way to and from work, or on the couch when we get home,” she says. “A good first step is to become aware of just how much time you spend not moving.”

Next step is becoming aware of how you sit.

“Most often, we aren’t sitting well, in terms of our posture,” Joanne says. “We all spend a lot of time hunched over our laptop or our phone or a book.”

At work, choose an office chair that you can raise or lower the height and has good lumbar support. Be sure to take it for a “test drive” before you buy it. (Here’s more tips for setting up your desk)

If you do sit for your job or are in still in school, be sure to switch your sitting position throughout the day. Stand up and stretch when you can. Stretch your neck by bringing your ear to your shoulder (left and right). Roll your shoulders forwards and backwards. Reach your arms out with your elbows straight, palm down. Bend your wrist down. Repeat with your palm up.

“Set a reminder in your phone or on your computer to get up and move every 30 minutes,” Joanne suggests.

There are a few other small things your family could do to be a little less sedentary, Joanne says.

“Get off the bus one stop early. Don’t go for the closest parking spot to the door. Park a little farther and walk,” she says.

For parents driving their little ones to school, park a block away and walk over to the school together.

At work, make a point of going to the farther washroom or the cafeteria that’s on the next block instead of in the building.

“Sometimes when we get home from work, we are just tired and want to sit down,” Joanne says. “Try a walk in the neighbourhood or a short bike ride before or after dinner. Even though you feel tired, doing something active will actually energize you.”

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Do you move enough?

Here are some simple ways to add a little movement into your day.

Park farther away.

Stretch at your desk.

Walk and talk after dinner.

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You’ve got arthritis. Painful joints, stiffness and inflammation.

But don’t let that be an excuse to be sedentary. Being active may actually help ease some of the symptoms.

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more of your joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. Joints may become damaged over time and can lead to increased pain and decreased function.

It’s a common misconception that a diagnosis of arthritis means hanging up your running shoes and packing away your tennis racquet. But there are many ways you can modify your activities, find new activities and stay active with arthritis.

“Physical activity does not worsen arthritis. Physical activity can help manage arthritis!” says physiotherapist Suzanne Denis. “It can make everyday day activity easier as well as provide many other health benefits.”

Suzanne has some tips for living active with arthritis:

Stand up! Research is pointing toward the importance of being active, whether or not you have arthritis. Sitting too much isn’t good for your arthritis. And it’s not good for your overall health either.

Find middle ground. If you have lower extremity arthritis, some load bearing is good for bone density, but too high impact might be painful. Try something in the middle: activities in water, cycling, Tai Chi, some light running. Doubles tennis. Golf. Curling with an extender.

Avoid activity that’s too intense.  Also avoid activities that have twisting, high speed uncontrolled movements (like singles tennis) forcing end range of movement, or kneeling (though not everyone has difficulty with that). Avoid only if painful or modify (with a kneeling pad or towel rolled under shin)

Hot or cold? “You can use heat before your activity to warm up your joints,” she says. “If your joint is red or swollen, don’t use heat.” After activity, if you have some swelling or your joint feels warm, use ice for 10 minutes, Suzanne says. There’s no hard and fast rule. “You have to find out what works for you.”

Talk to your doc about anti-inflammatory medicines. Check with a doctor before using any oral anti-inflammatory medications. There are many topical anti-inflammatories that can also be considered.

If you have been inactive, talk to your health care provider or seek the help of a physiotherapist before adding activity into your life.

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They also told us that 85% of the population will experience low back pain at sometime in their life (including me on occasion!)

For most people, it too shall pass. And, it doesn’t always mean the start of a lifetime of pain.

About 95% of low back pain is non-specific, meaning it is of an unknown cause, isn’t part of something serious, is isolated to the low back and doesn’t spread down the limbs.

If you experience low back pain, there are some ways you can manage it so that you can continue to live your life to its fullest. Thanks to Suzanne Denis, physiotherapist at Sunnybrook, for these tips!

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1. Bed rest is NO good. Pace yourself and stay as active as you are comfortable. Do exercises or activities that do not worsen your back pain and take breaks.  You may find certain activities actually help relieve your back pain.  Some people get relief with the trunk in a forward bend position others find it less uncomfortable to be upright.  Everyone is a bit different, and so not one exercise or activity is best for all.

2. Start low and go slow. When doing an activity you are not sure of, try 5 minutes & see what happens.  If you are not in more pain afterwards, gradually increase the time.

3.  Apply ice and/or heat. Typically, if you have suffered a trauma to the back (for example a fall), you should apply ice during the first 48 hours (For example for 10 to 15 minutes as needed.) Some low back pain sufferers find that applying a heating pad to the area provides more relief. Do not sleep with heat or ice applied.

4. Speak to your pharmacist about anti-inflammatory or other pain medications that you could use.

5. Track it. If your low back pain has not improved over a 2-week period, visit your family doctor or health care provider.

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But surprisingly, new Sunnybrook research questions the effect of strenuous exercise on cognition in later life and the risk of dementia. According to the new study, moderate over strenuous exercise appears to be best for clear thinking as we age. Sunnybrook’s lead researcher Dr. Mary Tierney and her team specifically examined the association in women because strenuous activity is known to affect sex hormone levels. And over a lifetime, reductions in estrogen levels have been found to negatively affect cognition in older age.

The big unanswered question is how much is too much, something only more study in a larger group of women can address. That said, maintaining regular physical activity is probably the best magic pill you can give yourself when it comes to good health. The Alzheimer Society advocates moderate physical activity to promote brain health, and I’ve yet to meet a doctor who doesn’t recommend the same. But kicking that up to extreme levels, may result in different outcomes.

Pardon the pun, but all this information has been on my mind a lot in the past week. Every second morning, I wake up at 4:45am, slip on my running gear and head out the door for a 40-minute run. Just me, the paper delivery person and the stray raccoon scurrying out of sight. For 39 minutes I love it. When I’ve hit 40 minutes, I’m done. I’ve always felt inadequate for not being able to push it harder. At the very least, this new research is making me feel a little less guilty.

For more information on the study, click here.

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