Contents:
- Medical Video: Are You Sitting Too Much?
- Bad impact sits too long everyday
- 1. Brain, neck and shoulder problems
- 2. Back problems
- 3. Muscle degeneration
- 4. Organ deterioration
- 5. Foot disorders
- How do you prevent the adverse effects of sitting if you really have to sit long?
- 1. Sit up straight
- 2. Stand up and walk every 30 minutes
- 3. Try doing yoga
Medical Video: Are You Sitting Too Much?
Today, we live in a world where modern machines seem to do a lot of work for us, which greatly reduces the need for manual work. Not to mention, many of us have office jobs, which force us to sit at a computer for eight hours or more in a day.
Based on reports published at in Annals of Internal Medicine, the average person spends more than half of their waking hours in an inactive state (sitting at a computer, watching TV, traveling to and from the office, etc.).
In fact, sitting for a long time can cause problems such as chronic back pain, bad posture, and even potentially deadly diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
If you spend a lot of time sitting in your work, look at the details of how these habits can have a negative impact on your health.
Bad impact sits too long everyday
1. Brain, neck and shoulder problems
Moving our body means more blood and oxygen are transported throughout the brain, which helps us maintain the clarity and sharpness of the brain. However, by sitting for a long time, this slows the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain, limiting our ability to think clearly.
In addition, bending forward while working to see a computer screen provides tremendous tension in the neck, especially in the cervical vertebra, which connects the spine to the head. Poor posture also damages the back and shoulder muscles, because this muscle extends excessively to bend over the keyboard for a long time.
2. Back problems
This is one of the obvious problems that occurs on the back of most people, because bad posture greatly contributes to back pain, inflexible spine, and disk damage.
If we move frequently, this makes the fine disk between the vertebrae in the spine stretch and contract, allowing the entry of blood and nutrients. By sitting too long, the disk becomes uneven and dense, even causing collagen buildup around the tendons and ligaments.
In addition, lumbar disc hernias are more common in people who spend a long time in front of a computer.
3. Muscle degeneration
Sitting does not require the function of the abdominal muscles, and if the abdominal muscles are not used for a long time, this can actually cause you to experience something called swayback, or excessive extensions that are unnatural to the natural curvature of the spine.
In addition, sitting too long decreases overall flexibility, especially on the hips and back. Flexible hips help balance the body, but by sitting too long, the hip flexor muscles become short and tense.
The glute muscles also become soft after not being used for a long time, and this limits your ability to take long steps and maintain body stability.
4. Organ deterioration
Staying seated for a long time can cause heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and colon cancer. In short, these problems are caused by excessive insulin production due to inactivity, and slow blood flow to the organs. Regular movements help kill cancer-causing cells, encouraging antioxidants to increase free radicals so they don't take over the body.
Excessive insulin production can also cause weight gain, which contributes to diabetes and obesity.
5. Foot disorders
Obviously, sitting too long will inhibit circulation in the legs. This causes blood to gather around the ankles, which then causes swollen ankles, varicose veins, and even dangerous blood clots.
Another more subtle problem caused by sitting too long is that the bones become less dense. Regular activities, such as running or walking, help maintain bone strength and thickness. This might be the reason why so many seniors today have osteoporosis, as people become increasingly inactive.
According to the study, people who watched TV the most over the past 8.5 years had a 61% greater risk of premature death than those who watched TV less than one hour per day.
How do you prevent the adverse effects of sitting if you really have to sit long?
1. Sit up straight
First of all, if you really have to sit for a long time at work or for other purposes, make sure that you sit up straight and don't lean forward toward the keyboard. If necessary, sit on a gym ball, which forces your abdominal muscles to work and naturally makes your body upright. You can also use a chair without backing if you want something more stable than a gym ball.
2. Stand up and walk every 30 minutes
Be sure to stand regularly to stretch. How often do you have to do this? At least once every 30 minutes, according to experts. Stand and walk around the office for a few minutes, which will maintain blood flow and allow the brain and muscles to function optimally.
3. Try doing yoga
Yoga can be very helpful in maintaining muscle flexibility and allowing the mind to calm down and reduce pressure from work today. You can also buy a standing work desk, which will force you to do the task in an upright position. This helps blood and oxygen flow more freely throughout the body, reduces the risk of blood clots, and other dangerous health problems.
