Everyone likes to sit down once in awhile, but how does it feel to sit for a long time? Many kids all round to world go to different schools to learn and gain knowledge.  Many people don’t realize the effect it has on a person’s body.

Sitting for a long time can damage organs. It can cause heart disease because muscles burn less fat and the blood flow is slow which allows fatty acid to block the arteries and veins. The Washington Post reported that sitting for a long time also causes other health hazards like overproduction of insulin, colon cancer, mushy abs, tight hips, poor circulation in legs, soft legs, foggy brain, strained neck, inflexible spine and disk damage. According to MayoClinic.org, sitting in front of a screen for more than four hours per day increases your risk of death by 50% and a 125% increased risk of events associated with cardiovascular disease such as chest pain or heart attack.

AHS sophomore Taylor Hansen said, “I sit during the school day for about six hours and I don’t like it because I like to move around and be active rather than sitting down.”  

The good thing is, when the kids walk between classes, it burns twice as many calories than sitting. Tucker Weber, the health teacher of AHS, thinks that kids get enough movement in the school because they do walk from class to class.  Also, the kids who have Physical Education class or are engaged with sports get more advantage to keep themselves healthy.

However, sitting for long time can lead to obesity too. Weber said, “Sitting is a factor of obesity but also depends on how active the kids are outside of school. If people aren’t being active, it leads to a non healthy lifestyle.”  Many kids can purchase an Apple watch or Fitbit which allows you to track your steps.    AHS freshman Kaden Coenen mentioned that he takes an average of 5,000 steps every day.

The website thewalkingsite.com reported that one person should take around 10,000 steps to stay healthy. If the kids find that they have taken very few steps during the day, they can make some time to do exercises.  During classes, kids can stretch their hands and legs while practicing sitting straight, according to the Washington Post.  There are many ways to stay active and keep up good health.