Sitting & Depression

We tend to sit most of our days. But can sitting too much lead to depression?

It turns out that sitting, especially if you do it most of the day, can be bad for your health in more ways than one.

We've known for a few years that sitting too much during the day raises your chances of being overweight. And although exercise is important, it's the little fidgeting we do while standing during the day that really helps keep those extra pounds away. So, spending house sitting at work can lead to a bigger waistline.

But new research is showing that same long sitting time can also take its toll on your mental health. Scientists looked at more than 1,000 workers and compared how long they sat to how healthy they were and how well they felt. Turns out on average most of us sit more than 5.5 hours at our desks every day. And this study found the more people sat, the more they weighed. But surprisingly researchers also found the more people sat, the more problems they had with their mental well being. And the more people sat at work, the more they tended to sit at home as well, adding to the amount of "down" time they had, which can take an even bigger toll on their health.

But the solution is simple. If you can get a standing desk, great. But if not, taking breaks a few times every hour just to stand up and stretch can help. And instead of sending an e-mail or talking to an office worker on the phone, get up and make it a face-to-face conversation. That little step could help you look and feel better.