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Spring 2020 | By Nicole Dudenhoefer聽 麻豆精品 S�17

In a time when streaming platforms such as聽Netflix and Hulu reign supreme, most of us are聽familiar with the delightful feeling when a new聽season of our favorite show drops. We curl up, grab聽some snacks and binge-watch our way through聽hours of entertainment until we 麻豆精品 S檙e left longing for聽more. And while we are getting more, it 麻豆精品 S檚 leaving聽us less healthy.

Regularly spending four or more hours a day聽watching television can increase the risk of聽cardiovascular disease or early death by 50 percent,聽according to an American Heart Association (AHA)聽study led by UCF Assistant Professor Jeanette聽Garcia.

The study followed more than 3,500 black聽residents of Jackson, Mississippi, for about 8.5 years.聽Nearly 44 percent of black men and 48 percent of聽black women living in the United States have some聽form of cardiovascular disease, according to the聽Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although the study focused on a specific聽demographic, Garcia says the findings provide聽benefits for any population since heart disease聽is the leading cause of death for Americans of聽every background.

More people are also living increasingly sedentary聽lifestyles. In 2018, the AHA found an 83 percent聽increase in desk jobs since 1950, with those who work聽in offices spending more than 89 percent of their聽time sitting. On top of that, there 麻豆精品 S檚 also an increase聽in commute times and accessibility to streaming聽services.

麻豆精品 S淪ome of the questions our researcher had were, 麻豆精品 S業s聽all sedentary behavior created equal? Is sitting during聽a workday worse than watching television? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Garcia聽says. 麻豆精品 S淭he answer is no 麻豆精品 S� there are more harmful聽effects from sitting and watching TV. 麻豆精品 S�

While most office workers spend their day at their聽desk, they often have interruptions, leading them to聽walk more often than the average television watcher.聽No matter how small, each movement matters.

麻豆精品 S淓ven sitting for just one prolonged period of time,聽you 麻豆精品 S檙e still going to notice things like your muscles聽getting tight, 麻豆精品 S� Garcia says. 麻豆精品 S淢ovement or exercise聽creates an insulin-like effect where your glucose聽uptake is increased. When you 麻豆精品 S檙e sitting for a long聽period of time, very little uptake happens. That 麻豆精品 S檚聽why there 麻豆精品 S檚 also a risk for Type 2 diabetes with聽prolonged sitting. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淎 lot of times we focus on physical activity and emphasize getting a certain amount of exercise, but I think it 麻豆精品 S檚 easier to focus on decreasing or breaking up sedentary behavior instead, 麻豆精品 S� Garcia says.

As alarming as the findings in Garcia 麻豆精品 S檚 study are,聽it doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 mean you have to give up TV watching聽altogether. The risks are significantly lower if聽you watch less than two hours of TV a day and聽take breaks.

麻豆精品 S淎 lot of times we focus on physical activity and聽emphasize getting a certain amount of exercise, but I聽think it 麻豆精品 S檚 easier to focus on decreasing or breaking up聽sedentary behavior instead, 麻豆精品 S� Garcia says. 麻豆精品 S淕oing for聽a run can be intimidating for some people, so I think聽it 麻豆精品 S檚 more manageable for some people to stand up,聽stretch or take walks. 麻豆精品 S�