Move More and Sit Less with Dr. Stefan Zavalin
/What an honor to interview Dr. Stefan. In addition to his smashing TedX Talk, he is super funny.
During our conversation I was surprised by these facts:
When you sit longer than 30 minutes your ability to metabolize fat decreases by up to 90%.
Stand when you work. Blood flow to your brain increases and you’ll be 46% more effective.
This was the big shocker: sitting for 30 minutes primes the body to lose muscle. While you don’t actually lose muscle after 30 minutes of sitting, you do tell the body “Hey, you may not need all of these muscles.”
In a conversation after the camera went off, Stefan shared with me that movement actually primes your body the other way. Standing and walking to the copier may not build muscle, but it tells your body “Hey, hold on to this muscle. I’m using it.”
That’s why, even if your primary goal is fitness, taking movement breaks throughout the day will help you get to your goal sooner.
