Intermedia Project: Sedentary America

There is a growing problem in America today that many people are completely unaware of. There is a continuing trend that people are becoming more sedentary which is increasingly problematic and unhealthy. Within the last century it has become easier and more comfortable to sit anywhere and people do. Whether it’s driving to work, sitting in an office, or relaxing at home on a couch, people spend their entire day sitting down. Studies show that when you’re sitting in your chair has numerous detrimental side effects. First sitting for a prolonged amount of time can develop bad posture and back pains. Sitting also affects your metabolism, stopping the production of chemicals necessary for processing sugars and fats. It also reduces blood circulation in the body which is important.

Only recently have there been studies that have been able to prove this and the message is slowly getting out to people. Personally I didn’t think it was a big deal until I worked as a server. Standing on my feet for most of the day I found that I had more energy and was in a better mood than if I just sat around all day relaxing. I also started using a standing desk over the traditional style of desk and chair and have found it a better way to work.

It seems that every day someone discovers that habbits and lifestyle choices we have developed are harming us in ways we never expected. I want to shine light on the issue of how harmful living a sedentary lifestyle can be.

Some have contested to how damaging prolonged sitting actually is. Most people would agree that having a more active lifestyle is healthier though and to me this seems like a chance to be more so. The objections to this idea mostly come from people who think that the claims are exaggerated or made out to be worse than they actually are.

For my presentation I want to have the class take a test or do a simple game at the beginning when everyone is sitting. I then want to have everyone stand up and do some sort of activity for a few minutes. After that I want to have everyone do the same test again and see if there is improvement.

To incorporate all of the senses into my performance I will have a variety of activities to do that all focus on each one specifically. Having a series of games that all challenge different senses I think will be the best way to get everyone active in a short amount of time. Obviously I can’t show how better a day would be not sitting as much in a five minute presentation, but I think that this approach will be the best way to try and demonstrate it in a short amount of time.

Overall I this is a idea that I discovered fairly recently but I think that everyone can benefit from it and should at least try to see if it works for them.