Graphic by Bennett Morgan

There is something so undeniably comforting about finally plopping down into a firm, black “chair” after walking the exhausting two flights of stairs to get to class. As uncomfortable as the pieces of plastic we sit on almost all day may be, we cherish that moment when we can finally sit down and rid our backs of the 20 pounds of AP textbooks and laptops. However, researchers have found that sitting for long periods of time can be as detrimental to your health as smoking cigarettes.

In 2011, the Center for Disease Control did a study on what percentage of high school students had smoked cigarettes, and found that only 18.1percent of all high school students in the nation had smoked a cigarette, meaning that 81.9 percent had never smoked. So if someone offered you a cigarette, and you were a part of this 81.9 percent your immediate reaction may be to say no and walk away. But if someone offered you to have a seat, you would probably accept the offer. You may be unaware of how similar the two are. Studies done by James A. Levine, M.D and Ph.D of the MayoClinic, have shown that sitting can be just as bad for your health as having a dependency on lethal substances. Prolonged periods of sitting can lead to a metabolic deficiency or obesity, due to the lack of movement. Although, what you may not know about sitting is that it can cause increased blood pressure, high blood sugar and fluctuating cholesterol levels. The slouched position most people presume while sitting causes fat cells to build up around the waist area. All these effects are major causes of heart attack and heart disease because of the clogged veins and arteries that these conditions attribute to, and according to the Center for Disease Control, the use of tobacco leads to plaque buildup in the walls of the veins and arteries, the same way sitting does. As plaque collects, the pressure needed to move blood must increase, quickening heart rate and increasing blood pressure. Over a lifetime, sitting for a majority of the day can take years off of your life. The American Cancer Society tracked the health of 123,000 Americans over the course of 14 years and found that men who sat leisurely for six or more hours a day had a 20 percent higher death rate than those who sat for three or less, and that women who sat for this long had a 40 percent higher rate of death due to heart disease and failure, as well as various types of cancer.

Now, back to those black chairs we all love. Here at Dreyfoos, a regular week consists of four of our five school days as block periods, so we sit for approximately 90 minutes before moving again. A majority of our seven-hour day is spent absolutely still, except for those classes like gym and dance that allow us to move around. Simply getting up for a few minutes allows blood to flow better instead of pooling in the legs and feet, which can cause blood clots. During class try simple things like refilling water bottles, offering to make copies, or even just getting up to sharpen a pencil instead of pulling out a new one. These things may help with clotting, but they wont reverse the affect of prolonged sitting. The only way to counteract this is through daily exercise. It sounds awful, but you don’t have to do push-ups until your arms fall off, or try to bench more weight than you weigh, especially if you do not even lift. Just adding more cardiovascular activity to your daily routine can add years onto your life. At home, try to fit in a 30 minute walk every day, and move as much as possible. Instead of sitting on the phone, walk laps around the house while talking, or try reading books on a treadmill. Every bit of movement helps.

So, if you are a part of that 81.9 percent that had never smoked, think about how many hours you spend sitting on a daily basis. If one hour of sitting equals one cigarette, how many packs do you smoke, or sit, every day?