5 Things Older Men Need to Know About Sitting Disease

If you’re over 60 and spend loads of time on the couch, you likely have “sitting disease”. There may be a number of reasons you’re a couch potato, but it’s important to break that cycle and get moving, no matter how limited that moving might be initially.

Here are 5 things you need to know about spending loads of time on the couch:

1 Risk of Sarcopenia increases by 33% for every hour sitting

Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength as we age. Daily tasks become difficult which can significantly impact your quality of life. Unfortunately, it erodes your independence which can result in the need for long-term care. (You want to counter this!)

2 Second highest cause of erectile dysfunction

A sedentary lifestyle is linked to being overweight which causes your body to turn testosterone into estrogen. Hence a major contributor to ED. (Good news is that it can be reversed – get moving!)

3 The odds of being disabled increase by 50% for each hour

(Heavy, I know.) A recent study proved that prolonged sitting puts people over 60 at quite a significant risk for disabilities?* Including an increased risk of heart failure, type 2 diabetes, and death from cancer, heart disease and stroke.

4 Fosters “Grumpy Old Man syndrome”

Sitting for hours on end has been linked to depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment (especially when it’s mostly made up of TV viewing)*. Both of which, significantly impact your quality of life. (The ‘Grumpy Old Man syndrome’ doesn’t have to be your MO!)

5 Makes for relational tension with your spouse

Unless your spouse is also a couch potato, this can be a major cause of tension and separation between the two of you. (How is your sedentary lifestyle affecting her? What is her retirement dream? How is her body experiencing age? And how is all this impacting your relationship?)

Want some easy tips to ease you off the couch?

Take the quiz below, answer a few quick questions, and get some personal recommendations emailed to you. Try them out and get some extra movement into your day.

Breaking the ‘sitting’ cycle doesn’t have to be drastic to be effective.

There are simple solutions that can serve you well as you choose to take control of your life.

Take the quiz to see what quick solutions would be best suited to you.