Could a sedentary lifestyle be a contributing factor to the upsurgence of acid reflux in our society? I typed these words into Google search: statistics about sedentary lifestyles. What I found was eye-opening and pretty darn scary!!
These were the statistics from the first article that popped up, “Sitting Disease is Taking a Toll on Your Body:”
- 300,000 deaths occur annually due to inactivity and poor dietary habits in the United States alone.
- 20% of all deaths of people 35 and older are attributed to a lack of physical activity.
- 65% of Americans watch 2 or more hours of TV everyday.
- Sedentary lifestyles are responsible for an estimated $24 billion in direct medical spending
- Women are more likely to lead sedentary lives than men.
Shocking! And this was just the infographic!!
Could my being sedentary be a contributing factor to my acid reflux? At age 57, I am facing the sober fact that my sitting lifestyle has not served my aging digestive system. When I needed to change my habit, I grabbed antacids, acid-blockers, acid-reducers and proton inhibitor medications instead. It seemed to work for a while but invariably, the symptoms returned. And this time, with a vengeance!
Fast forward to the past few days. I’ve had a resurgence of acid reflux. Like an alcoholic does when he or she has fallen off the wagon and goes back to a Twelve Step Meeting, I went back through the treatment regimen and supplementation recommendations from my naturopathic doctor to see where I’d gone wrong. Vitamins and supplements, check. Drinking water, okay, I can add a bottle or two. Greek yogurt, hate it but I’ll buy some more and put flaxseed in it. And so on and so on.
What had not changed was the long hours sitting on my rump. From sun up to almost another sun up, for hours at a time, I am in a seated position. (Even writing this article, I’m seated on my recliner with my laptop in my lap!) My mind is constantly engaged but my body is not. So in many ways I am the poster child for the afore-mentioned article.
According to WebMD, a 10-15 minute walk throughout the day can help your digestion. It can rid you of gas, heartburn, constipation and stomach cramps reports Ameya C, a contributing writer for StyleCraze, the world’s largest website for women. The Universe is sending me–it’s sending us–a wake up call. Today is the day to make a decision. Will it be hard? Heck yes! But as someone once said to me, “When has something being hard been a good enough reason not to do it?”
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