The Fat Diaries: Taking a Stand Against Immobility

Believe it or not, occasionally I talk about exercise as well as diet in this column. I know it’s kind of the elephant in the room as far as American health goes, and it’d be nice to say that a good diet alone can solve any problem, but that’s simply not the case. I abhor exercise in all forms and always have.

I realize the importance of getting up and getting my heart rate going but with my busier schedule these days chaining me to the computer, and my rocky battle with asthma, I just don’t.

(By the way, if one more person mentions that one gold-medalist swimmer who had asthma, I swear to God I will throw my inhaler at them.)

I’ve been thinking more about my exercise habits, or lack thereof, since I read another story about a young life cut short by a pulmonary embolism. This victim was a teenaged gamer who died suddenly of a blood clot blocking his lungs. The cause of death was cited as, “sitting on the couch playing video games, without moving for six hours.” My first immediate reaction was one of disbelief. Who sits down without moving for that long? That’s just crazy!

Then reality set in. I started to take more careful notes of the previous week. Just how long did I spend on the couch browsing the internet, writing or doing this week’s comics? When I wasn’t working, I was sitting on the couch watching TV, or folding laundry, or nursing a massive headache, just slumped over waiting for my coffee to kick in. Were there times where I hadn’t moved so much as a big toe for hours on end? Probably.

As I’ve already mentioned, I’m genetically prone to blood clots and deep vein thrombosis, so the fact that I’m already at risk for a pulmonary embolism made me wonder about my propensity to inertia. Come to think of it, my husband has a job that requires him to sit at a keyboard for hours on end, and so do most of my friends who aren’t teachers. Most of them can’t even leave their desks for lunch, and when they come home from work, what do they do? They flop on the couch and watch TV, or they jump on the computer to post about their day and play Lord of the Rings Online. Just how long does the average American spend seated and inert to fit the demands of our jobs only to curl up in a ball to do the same in our leisure hours? In these days of computer technology and tentative job security, we seem to find ourselves in a continual state of sitting.

Not that inertness is a new development of the 21st century although it seems to have grown considerably in the last few decades. Since people stopped using sidewalks, and community centers stopped letting people use gym equipment for free, it’s gotten worse. To me, I think, inactivity was ingrained in our systems since we were old enough for school. Sitting at a desk for hours on end was the norm since we were six years old. Of course, we were given recess and PE (though many schools have now cut their recess program), but if you were a kid like me, with a note from Mom and an inhaler, you managed to cruise through life without sweating unless stairs were involved. Inactivity is pretty much the American way. Perhaps that’s why professional athletes are paid so much; they perspire so we don’t have to.

Given that, it’s no wonder that deaths caused by immobility are on the rise. I’ll admit it’s got me a little scared. Looking at the Mayo Clinic’s site for Pulmonary Embolisms, they state that anyone can be at risk for pulmonary embolisms, but especially if they’re a) obese and b) immobile for long periods of time. Since a high percentage of cases are fatal, I naturally flipped to the prevention page. The Mayo Clinic recommended the following steps to avoid one’s chance of developing blood clots.

• Take a walk. Move around the airplane cabin once an hour or so. If you're driving, stop every hour and walk around the car a couple of times. Do a few deep knee bends.

• Exercise while you sit. Flex, extend and rotate your ankles or press your feet against the seat in front of you, or try rising up and down on your toes. And don't sit with your legs crossed for long periods of time.

•Wear support stockings. These help promote circulation and fluid movement. What's more, compression stockings no longer look like something your grandmother would wear — they're available in a range of stylish colors and textures. There are even devices, called stocking butlers, to help you put on the stockings.

• Drink plenty of fluids. Water is the best liquid for preventing dehydration, which can contribute to the development of blood clots. Avoid alcohol, which contributes to fluid loss.

One tip my husband suggested, which I personally love, is to use the timer on my phone as a reminder to get up and stretch my legs every hour. Not sitting with my legs crossed will be a problem, since sitting crosslegged is my favorite position, but it’s worth doing. Being active sucks, but so does sudden death. Now that the kids are in school, I have time to take brisk walks again, break out the exercise DVDs, and dance to music with no one whining that they hate They Might Be Giant.

Also, would I please put on “Single Ladies” by Beyonce? Jeez, my husband’s weird.