Sitting is probably one of the most things we do on a regular basis. I can like to say, 75% of our daily activities revolve around sitting, whether it's in the office, or driving, watching TV, meditating, dinning, etc.
Moving a little out of the motivation that "sitting and doing nothing all day kills you gradually", sitting for long hours has a great negative toll on our health generally.
Research has suggested that remaining seated for too long is bad for your health, regardless of how much exercise you do. Sitting for very long hours causes the body the following health problems:
• OBESITY/OVERWEIGHT
Barry Braun, PhD, director of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, says, "going from active to sitting doesn't lower your appetite or your energy intake". Prolonged sitting, he says, may trigger us to eat more than we should, leading to weight gain.
• DIABETES
Researchers have found that sitting for prolonged periods is associated with the body's reduced effectiveness in regulating levels of glucose, which dramatically increases the chances of unhealthy blood-sugar levels and type-2 diabetes.
• HEART DISEAS
Muscles burn less fat and blood flows more slowly during a long sit, allowing accumulation of fatty acids around the heart. Prolonged sitting has been linked to high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, and people with the most seating time are more than twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease than those with the least.
• OVERPRODUCTIVE PANCREAS
The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that carries glucose to cells for energy. But cells in idle muscles don't respond as readily to insulin, so the pancreas produces more and more, which can lead to diabetes and other diseases. A 2011 study found a decline in insulin response after just one day of prolonged sitting.
• CANCERS
Studies have linked sitting to a greater risk for colon, breast and endometrial cancers. The reason for this is unclear, but one theory is that excess insulin encourages cell growth. Another is that regular movement boosts natural antioxidants that kill cell-damaging — and potentially cancer-causing — free radicals.
• MUSCLE DEGENERATION
When you stand, move or even sit up straight, abdominal muscles keep you upright. But when you slump in a chair, they go unused. Tight back muscles and weak abs form a posture-wrecking effects that can exaggerate the spine's natural arch, a condition called lordosis, or swayback.
• TIGHT HIPS
Flexible hips help keep you balanced, but chronic sitters so rarely extend the hip flexor muscles in front that they become short and tight, limiting range of motion and stride length. Studies have found that decreased hip mobility is a main reason elderly people tend to fall..
• POOR CIRCULATION IN LEGS
Sitting for long periods of time slows blood circulation, which causes fluid to pool in the legs. Problems range from swollen ankles and varicose veins to dangerous blood clots called deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
• SOFT BONES
Weight-bearing activities such as walking and running stimulate hip and lower-body bones to grow thicker, denser and stronger. Scientists partially attribute the recent surge in cases of osteoporosis to lack of activity.
• REDUCED BRAIN ACTIVITY
Moving muscles pump fresh blood and oxygen through the brain and trigger the release of all sorts of brain-and mood-enhancing chemicals. When seated for a long time, everything slows, including brain function.
• STRAINED NECK
If most of your sitting occurs at a desk at work, craning your neck forward toward a keyboard or tilting your head to cradle a phone while typing can strain the cervical vertebrae and can lead to permanent imbalances.
• SORE SHOULDERS AND BACK
The neck doesn't bend alone. Slumping forward overextends the shoulder and back muscles as well, particularly the trapezius, which connects the neck and shoulders.
• INFLEXIBLE SPINE
When we move around, soft discs between vertebrae expand and contract like sponges, soaking up fresh blood and nutrients. But when we sit for a long time, discs are oriented unevenly. Collagen hardens around supporting tendons and ligaments.
• DISC DAMAGE
People who sit more are at greater risk for herniated lumbar disks. A muscle called the psoas travels through the abdominal cavity and, when it tightens, pulls the upper lumbar spine forward. Upper-body weight rests entirely on the ischial tuberosity (sitting bones) instead of being distributed along the arch of the spine. Mortality of sitting People who watched the most TV in an 8.5-year study had a 61 percent greater risk of dying than those who watched less than one hour per day.
Research suggests that no matter what your total sitting time is, regular interruptions from sitting (even just by standing up) may help to reduce your risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.
In fact, it’s been shown that if we watch less than two hours of television a day, we can reduce the likelihood of developing these risk factors listed above.
NOTE: Sitting is not bad, but sitting for too long at a stretch could result in serious health problems. Reduce your sitting time by breaking it up. Experts aren’t sure how often you need to get up, but they suggest getting up about every 30 minutes if possible will be of great help.
Most of these evidences are based on observational studies, which have only shown an association between sitting and ill health but not a direct cause.
Check out this INFOGRAPHICS, for illustrations for better understanding.
REFERENCES:
NHS Choices
WASHINGTONPOST
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMOLOGY
WebMD
No comments:
Post a Comment