British Chiropractic Association and Heart Research UK say 'Keep Moving'

We all know that keeping active is good for your heart and your posture and, with this in mind, Heart Research UK has teamed up with the BCA to enourage people to 'Keep Moving'.

Checks for charity

BCA chiropractors have been offering free spine and postural checks in return for a donation to Heart Research UK. So far more than £1,000 has been donated.

Sitting Pretty

Research* reveals that shockingly 32% of us spend over 10 hours sitting down every day. On average we spend 16 hours awake per day and 9.4million of us spend over 75% of our waking day taking the weight off our feet. And if you thought it was the older generation who were the least active you’d be wrong. The main culprits are the 18 to 29 year olds. 38% of respondents in this age range spend 10 hours or more seated, compared to just 25% of the over 50s!

All Work No Play

With 59% of the working population sitting down all day at work, the humble chair is our new best friend and we just don’t want to leave it alone. Nearly 50% of those who work refuse to leave their desks; even for lunch!  30% opt for a quick bite at their desk, whilst 19% don’t even take a break. Women are worse ‘lunch-hour-avoiders’ than men, with 23% regularly shunning a break compared with just 15% of men.

Staying In Is The New Going Out

But, when the working day is done, what do we get up to? Well, we’re not painting the town red that’s for sure. A staggering 34% of the population, on average, stay at home every single night! That equates to 19.9 million of us staying in every night of the week. 

When indoors, a slouch on the couch has a huge amount of appeal, 62% spend the majority of these evenings on their ‘behind’ and a further 9% sit down for the entire evening, meaning that 41.7million of us sit down for most if not all of the evening when behind closed doors.

Walk or Ride

Also, there are not many of us who can claim to be fitness freaks. The BCA research reveals that 17% of us never exercise and a further 12% exercise less than once a month. This could be putting us at greater risk from health problems.

30 minutes a day

Stretching and moving around is great for your posture and being more active is also good for your heart.

Lifestyle Officer, Denise Armstrong said, "There are simple ways to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine.  If you work in an office, stop emailing or phoning your colleagues and get up and walk over to them, take the stairs instead of the lift or get off your bus a stop earlier.  At home, tackle the housework with gusto, wash your car by hand and walk to the shops instead of taking the car.  We recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day to lower your risk of developing heart disease."

Click here for more information about the BCA or to find details of your nearest BCA chiropractor or call 0118 950 5950

*Fieldwork: 7th to 9th March, You Gov. Sample size: 2,374