Your New Year's resolution: Spend more time on your feet

by David Becker, M.D.

Published Jan. 1, 2016, 4:00 a.m. ET

It's time again for New Year's resolutions. Here's my suggestion for a small change with big dividends: Spend more time on your feet.

As a cardiologist, I often speak about the importance of exercise, and people may tire of hearing how they need to exercise as much as an hour per day. The truth is, most of us will not do this. But, even a little activity is better than doing nothing. The fact is, sitting around is bad for your health. Sedentary behavior has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and a higher risk of dying at a younger age. In our society, adults may spend as much as 70 percent of their time sitting – and that does not even count the time that we spend sleeping!

So, how much activity is enough? The following recent studies offer some clues:

In a recent study published in the European Heart Journal, simply replacing sitting by just standing or some stair climbing for at least 2 hours per day has been shown to lower cholesterol, blood sugar and lower weight as much as 10 percent.
Increasing short spurts of activity such as climbing stairs resulted in a 31 percent decreased chance of developing high blood pressure, according to a recent Australian study.
Jogging at a very easy pace can help you live longer. In the Copenhagen City Heart Study, joggers who ran 1 to 2.5 hours per week, even at a slow pace, had a 71 percent lower risk of dying when compared to sedentary people. For those who jogged less than an hour per week, the benefits were still impressive, with a 53 percent lower risk of dying during the study period. The optimal amount of jogging was 2-3 times per week, and an easy pace was defined as light jogging at an average pace of 5 miles per hour.
In the same study, people who exercised at a much higher level, running longer, more frequently and at faster speeds (defined as 7 miles per hour more than 4 hours per week), did not receive the same degree of positive benefit.
The Tromso Study, done in Norway this year, showed that becoming more active and improving your lifestyle not only makes you feel better, but also reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death.

Here is what I recommend:

Carve out some time every day for yourself -- even if it is just 10 or 15 minutes – for any activity you like, such as yoga, stretching, walking, jogging, walking up and down stairs, or tai chi.
Aerobic activity, which gets your heart rate up a bit, is best, and anything counts. Stand instead of sitting, climb stairs instead of taking the elevator, walk instead of driving.
Try to plan ahead, by thinking the night before about what kind of physical activity you can do the next day
If you sit at a desk during the day, try standing at the desk as much as possible, and try to walk around every half hour. Consider investing in a standing desk.
If you are going shopping, park your car as far away from the entrance as possible, and walk.

Get started by increasing the time you spend standing and walking. Graduate to using the stairs, then consider slow jogging. Everything you do to get moving helps. Slow and steady wins the race.

Dr. David Becker is a board certified cardiologist with Chestnut Hill Temple Cardiology in Flourtown, Pa. and has been in practice for 25 years. In 1993, after extensive research, Dr. Becker launched Healthy Change of Heart™, an innovative 10-week program designed to reverse heart disease and improve quality of life through diet, exercise, and stress management. Since then, thousands of patients have participated in the program, achieving significant results in improving cardiac wellness.