Sitting Kills, Moving Heals by Joan Vernikos, Ph.D.

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Sitting Kills Moving Heals

Full Title: How Simple Everyday Movement Will Prevent Pain, Illness and Early Death – and Exercise Alone Won’t.

Stars: ★★★★★

Quill Driver Books (2012)
Health/Fitness
130 pages

Summary: Demonstrating how modern sedentary lifestyles contribute to poor health, obesity, and diabetes, and how health can be dramatically improved by continuous, low-intensity, movement that challenges the force of gravity. From NASA research on how weightlessness weakens astronauts’ muscles, bones, and overall health, the author presents a simple and effective plan for maintaining good health throughout life by developing new lifestyle habits of frequent gravity-challenging movement. Written for everyone who spends most of their lives sitting in chairs, at desks, and in cars, this practical, easy-to-follow action plan outlines simple gravity-challenging activities such as standing up frequently, stretching, walking, and dancing that are more healthful and effective than conventional diet and exercise regimens.

First Impressions

When I first heard about this book, I was thinking it was about how as a society our lives are more sedentary (we don’t move around much) and so we have more health problems and exercise isn’t enough because we need to eat well too. I was wrong.

The Importance of Gravity

Ever wondered what it was like to be an Astronaut? An added benefit of this book is that you will learn a little bit about that.  It is from Dr. Joan Vernikos’ NASA research (she is a former director of NASA’s Life Sciences Division) that she realized the impact of gravity on our lives and what happens when either we are deprived of it (in the case of an astronaut or even an unborn baby) or it has been affecting us for a long time (old age.)

Attempting the Impossible

Summarizing all the knowledge in this little book is a momentous task but I will attempt it so you can decide if the book is for you.  Gravity is always pressing down on us from overhead. From the moment we are born until we die. Every time we do an action AGAINST gravity we are fighting the affects of gravity on our body. The less you move around, the more gravity pushes on you so the sooner you will find yourself unable to do things you once could (put on your pants without sitting or leaning on something for example.) The more you move against gravity, the stronger you will be and the more mobile you will be as you age. These gravity movements are very simple. Some only benefit the force of gravity on your body while others can actually burn calories. However if you are struggling to be more fit and thinking that 30 minutes of physical exercise three times a week is too overwhelming, this book will help you.

Simple Changes Can Help More than Hardcore Exercise

Gravity pushes down on us. So what’s the easiest way to work against gravity? Stand up! If you do a lot of sitting or laying down, you are doing nothing to work against gravity. If you must sit, get up every so often.

“Standing Up often is what matters, not now long you remain standing. Every time you stand up, your body initiates a shift in fluids, volume and hormones, and causes muscle contractions to occur; and almost every nerve in the body is stimulated. If you stand up 16 times a day for two minutes, the body would read that as 16 stimuli, whereas if you stood once and remained standing for 32 minutes, it would see that as one stimulus”- pg 33

If you are a parent of a young one, this really isn’t hard. How many times do you get up to help your child or take them away from something they shouldn’t be touching?

There is so much more to the book but I am so glad I read it. I have been sharing what I’ve learned with everyone and will be passing the book around so they can all read it.

*I received product from a company or PR agency for evaluation purposes. All review are honest.

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About Kathleen

I've been a nonfiction lover for as long as I can remember. I love children's nonfiction as well and love to share my knowledge and the books I gained them from, with the world. I wish more people would give nonfiction a chance.