Many of us spend most of our days sitting. Whether it be in an office, working from home, commuting or just relaxing on the couch scrolling through social media, many of us are not up and moving like we used to. In fact, people are sitting more than at any other time in history, and this can lead to serious side effects.
“A sedentary lifestyle has become a universal norm in the United States with dire health consequences,” says Alex Mafdali, M.D., a primary care sports medicine physician with Baptist Health Orthopedic Care. Sitting continuously at one place, may lead to many adverse consequences such as, weight gain, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even deep vein thrombosis.
And while it might be difficult to avoid sitting for most of your 9 to 5, there are small changes you can implement into your daily life to help reduce these negative side effects.
You Can Loose Strength and Flexibility
The saying is true, that if you don’t use them, you can lose them and when you’re sitting all day, your muscles and joints remain stationary, meaning they can lose their flexibility and strength due to inactiveness.
According to some research they have even shown that sitting continuously in a chair can lead to passive back muscle stiffness. The present underlying framework suggests that while we are sitting, we have a low level of muscle activity and the static nature of the sitting posture restricts our muscle metabolism which eventually affects our blood flow, muscle tissue oxygenation, and regulation of inflammation, says Dr. Mafdali. This reduction in muscle metabolism causes a reactive imbalance within the muscle cells which leads to an increased muscle stiffness.
You Can Develop Bad Posture
Sitting for a long period of time can strain your muscles and joints and weaken the back muscles, leading to poor posture. As you sit during the day, your neck, head and shoulders may begin to hunch. Over time, this strains your spine and can cause your muscles and tendons to not work at their best. And in this weakened position, your body is using more energy to counteract and overcompensate.
The risk of chronic diseases may increase
The truth is that when you keep your body in a inactive position for a long period of time, your muscles do not regulate things like blood sugar or cholesterol levels. This can lead to chronic inflammation, which is known to cause health concerns and chronic disease, and could lead to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.
It Can Cause Metabolic Changes
A sedentary lifestyle doesn’t just affect your bones and muscles, it can also affect your metabolism. Sitting continuously for a long period of time or lack of exercise is known to disrupt glucose metabolism and energy storage, says Vanessa Rissetto, Registered Dietitian and CEO of Culina Health.
It Can Effect Mental Health
While relaxing after a long day has its benefits, too much sitting has been directly related to mental health struggles. A 2023 study found that a sedentary lifestyle of sitting for more than eight hours a day can increase the risk of developing depression, and another found the same amount of sitting can lead to anxiety.
Move, even just for a few minutes
Researchers have said that 30 minutes of exercise per day, three to five days a week, can significantly improve depression and anxiety symptoms, aid weight loss, improve sleep, and ward off many chronic diseases. If you are unable to do half-hour workout a day, then try to sneak in 10 minutes of stretching or walking a few times a day.
Seek Out Sunlight
To stave off the negative mental health impacts that come with sitting all day, Rissetto suggests to step outside at the top of every work hour, even if it’s just for five to 10 minutes. Consuming your lunch in a different place from where you’ve been sitting all morning and placing a light box next to your chair or desk can also help.
https://www.shape.com/risks-of-sitting-all-day-8401373
https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/fitness/long-sitting-screen-disadvantages-9053965/
