According to research, long periods of sitting have been linked to a variety of health problems. Obesity and the metabolic syndrome, a group of ailments characterised by high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and unhealthy cholesterol levels, are among them.
There is mounting evidence to support the notion that humans are designed to move. A lot. Unfortunately, as we delegate more of our labor-intensive tasks to machines, many of us find ourselves sitting for far too long at our desks. While many jobs still require physical activity, it used to be more common for people to exert such effort on the job. However, it appears that fewer and fewer people are doing them these days. It’s difficult to imagine how many people work in the “service” sector today and spend almost all of their time seated at a desk or other workstation.
Employers should ensure that their employees take adequate breaks throughout the day and, at the very least, get up and move around because it is now widely accepted that prolonged sitting is unhealthy. Another option is to use more adaptable workspaces that allow employees to stand for long periods of time. The following are some of the health issues that have been linked to excessive sitting.
1. Disease Of Heart
For many years, modern man has been plagued by this condition. According to recent research, excessive sitting may play a significant role in the behaviours that contribute to heart disease. According to research, people who spend too much time sitting or engaging in other sedentary activities are more than twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease.
2. Pancreatic Exercise
Because the muscles cannot effectively communicate their level of glucose consumption to the pancreas while seated, the pancreas produces more glucose than the body requires, potentially resulting in a bloodstream overload. Diabetes and other serious medical conditions can result.
3. Cancer
Spending too much time sitting appears to increase the risk of several cancers, including breast, colon, and endometrial cancer, for reasons that scientists are still investigating. Excess insulin production caused by inactivity, according to one theory, promotes cell growth that can spiral out of control and lead to cancer.
4. Labyrinth Abstract
Sitting is one of the worst things you can do if you want to develop a “six pack” set of abdominal muscles to flaunt at the beach. When we sit, our abdominal muscles lose use and become loose, which can lead to hyperlordosis, also known as “swayback,” which is necessary for us to stand up. That posture isn’t exactly the most appealing in the world.
5. Improper Circularity
Poor blood circulation is another risk associated with prolonged sitting. When this happens, the legs may begin to retain fluid, leading to conditions such as varicose veins, swollen ankles, and even deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which can cause blood clots to form in the legs and spread to other parts of the body such as the heart and lungs, potentially posing a life-threatening medical emergency.
6. Softening Of Bone
When we are physically active, our bones regenerate constantly, making them stronger and thicker. Prolonged sitting, on the other hand, has the opposite effect and can make bones more brittle and soft. One condition that may be affected by this is osteoporosis, which has become much more common in recent years.
7. Strain Of Brain
Long periods of inactivity can reduce the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the brain, making it difficult to concentrate on work or even simple tasks. This is due to the fact that moving around causes a beneficial increase in blood flow.
8. Neck Straining
Few people have ergonomically sound chairs, desks, or work environments, forcing them to adopt awkward postures such as hunching over to look at a computer screen or tilting their head to support a phone handset. As a result, the cervical vertebrae may be strained, potentially causing long-term harm.
9. Back Issue
Our spinal column is mostly made up of flexible discs that flex and move as we move. As we move, the discs absorb vital nutrients from the bloodstream. Sitting for extended periods of time can result in uneven disc compression. As a result, collagen may build up, hardening around the tendons and ligaments that support our spine and reducing flexibility.
