Your Chair Is Killing You (Literally)

Ross Reynolds speaks with Dr. James Levine about his book, "Get Up! Why Your Chair is Killing You and What You Can Do About It." Dr. Levine treats obesity at the Mayo Clinic and he’s the inventor of the treadmill desk.

“What has come to bear with scores of high-grade research articles,” Levine said, “is that sitting is literally lethal.”

At the Mayo Clinic his studies showed the connection between sitting and obesity. And in recent years, Levine says more research links excess sitting to 34 chronic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease and depression.

In his book, Levine debunks the myth that exercise can offset too many hours of sitting. “Formal exercise at the gym is definitely beneficial, however, the trouble is it does not offset the harm of sitting all day long.”

Levine came up with the idea of the treadmill desk in 2000. “We got an old Sears treadmill from the basement at Mayo and cobbled it together with duct tape,” he says. “I got on to it and began walking at one mile an hour. I realized I could do my desk work just as effectively as when I was sitting in a chair.” Plus, he can work while burning 150-200 calories per hour.

Various manufacturers have built desk treadmills. At least 50,000 are in use around the world. Standing desks are a good alternative if you can't get a treadmill desk as "it becomes inevitable you will move more," Levine says.

This is what it looks like to walk and work at the same time: