The More You Sit, The Sooner You’ll Die

Yet another reason to push for stand-up desks: A recent study by Australia’s Sax Institute says sitting down for several hours a day could bring you to an early grave, even if you already exercise.

The study followed more than 200,000 Australian adults aged 45 and older from 2006 to 2010. It found that those who reported sitting for at least 11 hours a day had a 40% higher risk of dying within the next three years than people who sat for less than four hours a day. It’s part of the Sax Institute’s ongoing 45 and Up study, the largest study on healthy aging ever undertaken in the Southern Hemisphere.

While exercise has numerous health benefits, it doesn’t necessarily take away this risk. As reported in The Atlantic, “while the death risk was much lower for anyone who exercised five hours a week or more, it still rose as these active people sat longer.”

Long work hours aren’t the only cause of our sitting styles. According to The Atlantic, it’s estimated that the average adults spends 90% of his leisure time sitting.

“People tend to think they’re okay as long as they get their ‘dose’ of working out each day,” Mark Tremblay, obesity and activity researcher at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, told Reuters Health. However, he says, “Getting your 30 minutes of physical activity five times a week is not insurance against chronic disease.”

So what can we do to get on our feet more? For work, a stand-up desk might help — or even a treadmill desk, if you’re feeling more high-tech.

But we can’t forget the lifestyle factor to consider outside of work — especially if we are spending most of our free time sitting. “Try to find a healthy balance between sitting, standing and walking or other physical activities,” Hidde van deer Ploeg, the study’s lead author, told Reuters Health.

Source : Mashable

#1 Viral Video : Mercedes Invisible Car

Innovative product promise + a touch of tech  + great idea = magnetic attention. Check this one out!

Advertising Agency: Jung von Matt/Elbe, Germany
Executive Creative Directors: Thimoteus Wagner, Fabian Frese, Götz Ulmer
Creative Directors: Micheal Ohanian, Jonas Keller, Martin Strutz
Art Direction: Jonas Keller
Copywirter: Michael Ohanian
Accounts: Sven Dörrenbächer, Sonja Stockmann, Kete Stodtmeister, Ann-Kathrin Geertz, Nelli Walker
Production Company: Markenfilm-Crossing
Designer: Daniel Soares
Idea: Michael Ohanian, Jonas Keller
Camera: Jakob Süß
Production: Martin Schön/Tina Rentzsch
Programming: Bettina Ackermann, Christopher Schultz
Director: Daniel Schmidt
Technic: Christopher Schultz, Bettina Ackermann

(source : creativeguerillamarketing.com)

Volkswagen Compares ‘Enviro-mental’ Products to the Golf BlueMotion

The world is experiencing the power of ‘Think Blue.,’ Volkswagen’s international environment-oriented campaign, which was launched in Europe in 2010 and over the last months has been rolling out in the USA, Canada and Australia as well. With a huge focus on ecology, the brand just can’t miss big days for those who care about the nature—ahead of Earth Day (April 22), in Canada the brand released a simple but smart advert encouraging to check the tires’ air pressure regularly, and on the occasion of World Environment Day (June 5), Volkswagen and DDB Sydney developed an integrated campaign with the ‘Why be environ-mental when you can be enviro-normal?’ tagline for Australia.

The auto brand, which is famous for its eco-friendly cars with the highly acclaimed fuel saving and low emission BlueMotion technologies, has featured the Golf BlueMotion model in the promotion that will be running in press and on web for four weeks and out-of-home for two weeks. “Some ‘green’ products can be off-puttingly impractical. That’s why Volkswagen has created a car that’s easier on the environment and fun to drive, although it looks a like a normal Golf, it’s packed with the BlueMotion Technology that focus on achieving efficiency and sustainability. Great news for those wanting to make less of an impact on the environment, but at the same time, less of a fuss,” states the brand in its ‘manifesto’ at the dedicated online destination, where one can learn more about the vehicle and discover new imaginary products, which can help people be more eco-conscious (but are weird to use).

The list of environ-‘mental’ unconventional solutions can be found at the website “made from 100 % recycled websites” and includes the Shopping Shirt (a hands-free tee with a belly pocket for groceries), the Yumbrella (collects rainwater to drink instead of bottled water) and the Magnifryer (an improved frying pan with a magnifying glass that can be used for cooking on sunny days). “The notion of this campaign is fun and simple: you don’t have to buy something silly like a Yumbrella or a Magnifryer to help the environment. The Golf BlueMotion looks and drives just like a Golf, but is also one of Australia’s most fuel-efficient cars,” commented Simon Veksner, deputy executive creative director at DDB Sydney.

The launch of this tongue-in-cheek campaign follows the release of new similar commercials promoting Nissan‘s Leaf and Renault‘s ZE and revolving around the notion that electricity is better than gas (AdAge reports that the brands didn’t comment on why the adverts resemble each other so much).

Source: http://popsop.com/46592