Get Up! - Softcover

Levine, James A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1137278994 ISBN 13: 9781137278999

Publisher: Griffin, 2014

Synopsis

That the average adult spends 50 to 70 percent of their day sitting is no surprise to anyone who works in an office environment. But few realize the health consequences they are suffering as a result of modernity's increasingly sedentary lifestyle, or the effects it has had on society at large. In Get Up! , health expert James A. Levine's original scientific research shows that today's chair-based world, where we no longer use our bodies as they evolved to be used, is having negative consequences on our health, and is a leading cause of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Over the decades, humans have moved from a primarily active lifestyle to one that is largely sedentary, and this change has reshaped every facet of our lives―from social interaction to classroom design. Levine shows how to throw off the shackles of inertia and reverse these negative trends through simple changes in our daily lives.

About this title

About the Author:

James A. Levine is the co-director of the Mayo Clinic/Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative and the inventor of the treadmill desk. He has published more than 100 scientific papers, worked on dozens of corporate programs, and served as an advisor for schools on how to make the classroom a more active place. He was awarded the Invention of the Year Award by NASA, the Platinum Award at the World Fair, and Entrepreneur of the Year in the State of Minnesota. His work has been featured on Rock Center, 60 Minutes, BBC, and all major network US morning shows, as well as in The New York Times, and The Times of London.

From Booklist:

According to Levine, codirector of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University obesity initiative and inventor of the “treadmill desk,” for every hour we spend sitting in our chairs, we lose two hours of our lives. In fact, excessive sitting is more dangerous to your health than smoking, Levine insists. He explores the history of the workplace, from the evolution from agrarian to industrial economies, and the dominance of sit-down jobs and leisure that is spreading to developing nations as well. Levine draws on research showing the rise in myriad health issues, from diabetes to cancer to heart disease, that can be traced to a sedentary life style. He goes on to highlight businesses and schools that are working to change their culture to encourage more activity and documenting the benefits in health and greater productivity. At the end of each chapter, Levine challenges readers to test their own levels of chair dependency and devise strategies for unshackling themselves from the chair. Levine mixes fascinating research, levity, and sound advice in a call to action against the modern sedentary life. --Vanessa Bush

About this edition

• Publisher: Griffin
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1137278994
• ISBN 13: 9781137278999
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 242