Does your butt get bigger the more you sit? Find time to move more

Many office ladies have a catchphrase: "My butt is getting bigger the more I sit!" However, this statement is actually not quite correct. Doctors say that before menopause, fat accumulation is mainly in the lower body of women; and fat accumulation is most closely related to physical constitution, accounting for 60%, while acquired lifestyle habits account for only about 30%.

Many petty-bourgeois women stare at the computer regardless of whether they are working or eating. Doctors remind them to develop the habit of getting up and moving around at fixed times. Otherwise, if they are born with a physique that is prone to obesity, they will inevitably become obese if they do not move more. (Photography by Huang Zhiwen)

Dr. Hsiao Dun-ren, executive director of the Taiwan Obesity Medical Association, said that before menopause, women generally have fat concentrated in their thighs and buttocks. As female hormones decrease, fat will gradually concentrate in the abdomen. Fat accumulation starts under the skin; if the subcutaneous fat is full, it will turn into visceral fat.

Dr. Xiao Dunren pointed out that whether a person is fat or thin is 60% due to genetic constitution, lifestyle habits account for about 30%, and social environment accounts for 10%. Therefore, to improve your body shape, you need to work on these 30% lifestyle habits. In addition to a balanced and appropriate diet and developing exercise habits, the current concept is that "breaking the sitting habit" will be effective. Therefore, get up and move around every 50 minutes, whether going to the pantry to get some water or walking up a few stairs, you can reduce the chance of fat accumulation.

Exercise time can be divided. Foreign studies have confirmed that exercising for 30 minutes at a time is better for weight control than exercising in three segments, each lasting 10 minutes, because it is easier for people to implement and be willing to persevere.

Exercise is not limited to any place. Dr. Xiao Dunren pointed out that even in the office, if you gently lift your feet while sitting upright, you can achieve the effect of contracting your abdomen and thighs. But we also remind you to make good use of your rest time to do this, so as to avoid distractions during work, which will affect your work efficiency.