Excessive sitting is harmful to your health. Unfortunately, however, long hours spent driving and sitting at a desk are unavoidable in many of our everyday lives. Even if we exercise periodically, our time not moving can impact our health. Researchers have shown that excessive sitting is associated with various health issues, including degenerative diseases, some types of cancers, and even premature death.
We must make a conscious effort to break this bad habit. Here are five reasons you shouldn’t sit for long periods and some tips on incorporating more movement into your day.
Encourages Weight Gain
Even if you eat healthy, living a sedentary lifestyle might make losing weight difficult. Storing excess fat is linked to various diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, obesity. Sitting for an extended time promotes the accumulation of excess fat. You must stand up and move around now and then if you are serious about losing the pounds that weigh you down.
This can be accomplished in numerous ways: Take a few minutes to stretch and exercise throughout the day. For example, while chatting on the phone, get up and take a walk. The small habits you form throughout the day to substitute long periods of sitting will make a huge difference.
Promotes Muscle Atrophy
You must move to keep your muscles and bones healthy. Sitting for an extended period makes your bones brittle, and your muscles lose mass. In addition, as you get older, you are more likely to fall and get hurt. Firm, defined muscles can help you maintain your health and flexibility as you age, and the only way to obtain them is to do anything but sit. Muscle health can be improved through strength training, cardio workouts, yoga, and natural movement.
Increases Mental Health Issues
Even your brain needs to be stimulated regularly. A sedentary lifestyle contributes to cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depression. Since your mind and body are closely linked, having a healthier body also means having a healthier mind.
This should certainly come as no surprise, given that exercise releases feel-good hormones like serotonin. People who live an active lifestyle are generally happier than those who have a sedentary lifestyle. It’s time to start exercising regularly if you don’t already.
Deteriorates Spinal Health
Yogis have long held the belief that a good spine leads to a long and healthy life. This is why they constantly bend backward, forwards, and to the sides. A flexible spine is very beneficial to your health. When you sit for too long, it’s challenging to maintain excellent posture, and too much time on a chair can lead to drooping and hunching. When you stand instead of sitting, you can work on keeping your neck, spine, and lower back long. As we become older, our backs frequently become a source of discomfort. Standing for more extended periods and stretching often will help prevent these unnecessary postural difficulties.
Increased Risk of Fatal Diseases
Sitting for an extended time raises your chances of developing a disease. If you live a sedentary lifestyle, you are more prone to develop cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, or osteoporosis. The Centers for Disease Control reported that heart disease is the top cause of death in women and men in the United States.
A 2011 study investigating the effect of prolonged sitting found that people who sat the most had a 147% increase in cardiovascular events and a 90% increase in mortality due to cardiovascular events. This is why it’s crucial to get up and move more to maintain a healthy heart.
Decreased Lifespan
Your life will be cut short if you live a sedentary lifestyle. According to the study mentioned above, people who spent the most time sitting had a 49% higher chance of dying from any cause. On the other hand, people who live to be 100 are often significantly more active than those who die early. This implies that you must stay active if you want to live a long life!
You don’t have to become a gym rat to be more active. The world’s longest-living people move their bodies in natural ways. They commute to work on foot or by bicycle. They tend to a garden and prepare for the winter by chopping wood. They have a more traditional, old-fashioned way of life, which involves less sitting and more movement. If you think beyond the box, you can move like them.
It’s all about awareness, so start tracking how often you sit. Take pauses from sitting and, if necessary, seek assistance. For example, set a daily alarm to remind you to get up and stretch if needed.
Tips to Move More in Everyday Life
If most hours of your day are spent sitting — whether at work, home, or in the car —try the following tips to sit less and move around more:
- Make time to stand up, stretch, and perform range-of-motion exercises.
- Rather than holding meetings in a conference room, walk laps with your coworkers.
- During your lunch break, go for a walk.
- Rather than taking the elevator, use the stairs.
- Stand while on the phone or eating your lunch.
The Health Benefits of Standing
The internal organs benefit from standing. When we stand up, our bodies pump blood more efficiently, making organs healthier. In addition, the bowels are more efficient at removing waste.
If you work from a computer for long periods, you might want to consider investing in a standing desk. If that isn’t a possibility, move your laptop to a counter or a high table rather than a desk or a standard table. Make a conscious effort to stand up now and then when you’re sitting. As you stand more throughout the day, you can also practice proper posture, benefiting your spine and preventing back problems.
