Take A Stand: How Too Much Sitting Ruins Your Health

Do you live a sedentary lifestyle? Many of us spend our jobs sitting down either driving a vehicle or sat behind an office desk. We then go home and spend the evening on the couch in front of the TV. Most of know that this lifestyle isn’t good for us – but exactly how bad are the negative health effects? Here are just a few of the ways in which sitting down too much harms our health and what we can do to stop this.

 

It’s bad for your back

 

Sitting down for long periods has been shown to be damaging to the neck and base of the spine, causing back problems later in life. This is mostly the case for those craned over a desk all day. By sitting back more, you could help to protect your posture. You could even adjust your PC monitor so that it’s at eye level rather than having to constantly look down at it. This site https://www.spine-health.com/blog/7-tips-protect-your-lower-back offers some more ways to protect your spine.

 

 

It can lead to weight gain

 

Sitting down for long periods can also lead to weight gain. This is not just due to a lack of physical activity but also due to the constant contracted position of stomach muscles causing them to wear away and be replaced by fat. Core muscles such as the hip flexors may get no exercise at all by constantly being in a seated position. Sites such as https://defendyourhealthcare.us/unlock-your-hip-flexors give advice on how to get these muscles exercised and prevent weight gain. There may be other methods in some cases, such as getting a stand-up desk for your office.

 

It’s bad for your heart

 

A sedentary lifestyle is thought to increase the risk of heart disease. Deep vein thrombosis and conditions such as a pulmonary embolism are more likely in people that regularly sit down – two circulatory diseases that can lead to a heart attack. Taking up more physical activity and eating foods that are good for the heart could help to lower risks.

 

It’s bad for your joints

 

Being sat down for long periods can also have an effect on joint health, particularly in the knees. This can lead to conditions such as osteoporosis and arthritis. Short bouts of exercise throughout the day have been found to have a positive effect at preventing this.  

 

It can affect your mental health

 

Sedentary behaviour is also thought to be bad for our mental health. Physical activity releases endorphins which help to combat the likes of depression and anxiety. Those spending most of their day sat down may start to suffer mentally as a result. Of course, the activity being done whilst sat down can also have an effect on our mental health. Playing board games, reading, doing craft activities and even working on a computer might not be so bad for the brain and may even ward off degenerative diseases such as dementia. Watching too much TV is thought to be one of the biggest negative stimuli.