I am in a job in which I can sit for hours at a time. I am writing at my computer, answering emails, and working on projects–all from my desk. And when I get into an assignment or project, I can sit for hours with very little movement. Writing a book, I can get in a zone and not move for days!

But what is this doing to my brain, if anything at all?

I didn’t think about it much until I read a new study. The researchers used MRI technology to look into the brain to see if they could predict what sedentary behavior does to the brain. They found that sitting reduces the structures of the brain that affects brain health. And even when you add physical activity, it doesn’t offset the harm that is done with prolonged periods of sitting. The parts of the brain affected, the medial temporal lobe (MTL) that thins, has to do with cognitive decline. Other memory structures in the brain are also affected in this negative way by sitting.

I wrote a blog awhile ago entitled Sitting is the New Smoking because so many of us have jobs that keep us glued to a desk. This study simply confirms the concern that sitting for long periods of time is hurting your health and specifically your brain. So, we need to get up and move, walk and talk instead of sitting at a conference table!

Be intentional about movement. If you want a healthy brain, get up off of that chair! Move,move, move!

Source:  Prolonged Sitting Tied to Brain Atrophy – Medscape – Apr 17, 2018.