Sit All Day? Why It's Making Your Butt Big

There are many things I love about my job, but the fact that it keeps me sitting for hours at a time isn't one of them. Don't get me wrong -- I still think it beats chasing after toddlers (how do daycare workers do it?) or standing for hours on end hocking perfume at a department store. But a new study published in "The American Journal of Physiology" has given me another reason to resent my profession's sedentary nature: It's making my butt bigger.

Related: 6 Best Butt Workouts for Women

Turns out our cells react badly when smushed by the weight of our bodies for long periods of time. An article in Britain's Telegraph explains how scientists at Tel Aviv University discovered that the pressure placed on your hips and butt while sitting can create more fat in those areas: "Researchers found that preadipocyte cells, the precursors to fat cells, turn into fat cells and produce even more fat when subject to prolonged periods of 'mechanical stretching loads' -- the kind of weight we put on our body tissues when we sit or lie down."

Related: 7 Snacks That Taste Fatty But Keep You Skinny

The study goes onto say that even people who eat right and exercise regularly are "negatively impacted" by extended stretches of inactivity.

I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure that means that all of us who sit for a living are doomed.

James LeVin, MD, from the famed Mayo Clinic calls sitting a "lethal activity." And to back it up, he says, "Go into cubeland in a tightly controlled, corporate environment and you immediately sense that there is a malaise about being tied behind a computer screen seated all day." (Can't comment on that one. My boss reads these blogs.)

What can those of us whose jobs don't involve a lot of movement do to counteract the effects that sitting wreaks on our butts and bodies?

• Consider getting a standing desk -- they're proven to be better for your back, too.
• Take frequent breaks to walk around the office or run up and down a flight of stairs.
• Stand up (or even better, walk around) while you're on the phone.
Do these easy exercises at your desk.

And even though the "experts" say those of us who sit for a living are screwed even if we do exercise, I still think these 6 butt workouts will slow the inevitable expansion.


No. 1 Step backs

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Hold one 15-pound weight in your right hand and hold it at your shoulder (parallel to your body).
• Step back with your left foot bending your knees until you're in a lunge position. Make sure your front knee doesn't extend over your toes.
• Step back up and squeeze your glutes.
• Repeat nine more times, for a total of 10.
• Switch sides; place the weight in your left hand and step back on your right. Again, do 10 repetitions.

No. 2 Deadlifts

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your body. Weights should be resting on your thighs.
• With your back and legs straight (or very slightly bent), reach toward the ground with your weights (flat back position). Only go as far as your flexibility will allow.
• Stand back up and repeat nine more times for a total of 10 repetitions.

No. 3 Step ups

• Step up onto a bench/step and back down with your right foot 10 times. Make sure your knee is directly above your ankle as you step up.
• Switch feet and step up with your left foot 10 times.
• Want to challenge your abs while you do this? Interlace your hands behind your head.
Note: If you are collapsing into your back (meaning that your spine is curving) when you step up, the bench/step you're using is likely too high.

See 3 more ways to fight "cube butt" here.