BY KATE HALIM
When you sit, you use less energy than you do when you stand or move. Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns. They include obesity and a cluster of conditions which include increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels that make up metabolic syndrome.
According to Dr. Ifeoma Onyeabor, too much sitting overall and prolonged periods of sitting also seems to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Any extended sitting, such as at a desk, behind a wheel or in front of a screen can be harmful.
What Sitting Disease means
Sitting Disease describe the harmful effects caused by sitting for too long on the body. Research has shown that sitting for as little as 30 minutes at a time without standing up or engaging in physical activity causes a chain reaction that includes poor circulation, inflammation, and dysfunction of the lining of the blood vessels. This translates, in the longer run, into higher rates of cardiovascular disease, overweight and obesity, and possibly even cancer.
Side effects of prolonged sitting
Many people have health issues that they attribute to bad genes, poor diet, or possibly even the environment. But now that they have a better understanding of the physiological effects of excessive sitting, it’s probably safe to say that their daily behaviors can also play a large role in their health problems.
Here are some of the issues you may experience as a direct side effect of sitting too much:
Weight gain
It’s no secret that an inactive lifestyle can lead to increased weight gain. Too much sitting has been shown to decrease lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity, which can have a negative impact on the body’s ability to burn fat.
This leads to increased fat stores and encourages the use of carbohydrates instead of fat for fuel, and as a result, the body will continue to gain fat even while consuming a low-calorie diet.
Poor blood circulation
Another obvious yet often ignored consequence of immobile sitting is poor circulation. Prolonged sitting time can slow down your circulation and cause blood to pool in the legs and feet, which can lead to varicose veins, swollen ankles, or even dangerous blood clots like deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Heart disease
When your body burns less fat and blood circulation is poor, there’s an increased chance of fatty acids blocking the arteries in the heart. This links inactive sitting to elevated cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.
In fact, a study has shown that men who spend more than 10 hours a week riding a car or over 23 hours a week watching television had 82% and 64% greater risk of suffering from heart disease compared to those who spent significantly less time on both activities.
Weakened muscles
Sitting all day loosens and weakens the muscles in the body, particularly those in the midsection and lower body. And without strong legs and glutes, your lower body becomes unable to hold you up when sitting down or keep you stable when walking and jumping, putting you at risk of injury.
Diabetes
According to a 2017 study that examined the link between diabetes and total sitting time, there is a higher risk of diabetes in physically inactive people, with prolonged sitting being a major contributing factor.
This is because decreased muscle mass and strength can result in lowered insulin sensitivity, which means that the cells respond slower to insulin (the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels). The lower the body’s sensitivity to insulin, the higher the incidence of diabetes.
Posture problems
Aside from making your muscles more vulnerable to degenerating, prolonged sitting and slouching causes a variety of problems for your neck, shoulders, back, and hips. Your neck and shoulders curve and stiffen, your spine loses its flexibility as it absorbs pressure, and your pelvis rotates the wrong way, especially if you don’t use an ergonomic chair or already have bad posture to begin with.
Chronic body pain
The longer you sit and maintain bad posture, the more likely you are to experience chronic pain in areas such as your neck, shoulders, back, hips, and legs.
Brain damage
With all the mental work you are doing at the office, you would think your brain would be in top condition. But if you are sitting the whole time, the brain will be unable to get enough blood and oxygen, which it needs to function optimally. As a result, your brain function still slows down, and you don’t get to optimize your brain power. And when it doesn’t get enough glucose energy, brain cells may get damaged.
Anxiety and depression
Another mental side effect of prolonged sitting is anxiety and depression. It’s easy to figure out why: those who sit all day don’t get to enjoy the health and mood-boosting benefits that come with exercise and staying fit. At the same time, being in front of the computer or TV all day limits sun exposure and social interaction, which leads to vitamin D deficiency and strong feelings of loneliness.
Cancer
Perhaps the scariest side effect of prolonged sitting is the risk of getting lung, colon, breast, uterine, and endometrial cancers. Sedentary behavior can boost the production of insulin in the body, which encourages cell growth.
Alternatively, regular physical activity tends to have an antioxidant effect in the body due to its ability to reduce oxidative stress. Possible cancer risks can also be linked to weight gain, changes in hormone levels, metabolic dysfunction, and inflammation-all of which can be exacerbated by sedentary behavior.
Fighting Sitting Disease
Dr. Ifeoma Onyeabor revealed that there are several ways to fight the sitting disease. If you have a desk job, you may be most at risk, so be sure to evaluate your work station and work environment. Everyone should look for ways to stay in motion throughout the day.
Here are some ideas for doing so:
Stand up and stretch your legs every 20 minutes at the very least, even if it is just for a minute or so. Setting a timer can help. Take calls standing up. Walk around your office whenever you can if not every 20 minutes, then at least every hour.
Always take the stairs. Consider holding walking meetings. Get up during television commercials. Limit TV viewing to less than 7 hours per week.
Take a break from sitting every 30 minutes. Stand while talking on the phone or watching television. If you work at a desk, try a standing desk or improvise with a high table or counter. Walk with your colleagues for meetings rather than sitting in a conference room. The impact of movement, even leisurely movement can be profound. For starters, you will burn more calories. This might lead to weight loss and increased energy.
Also, physical activity helps maintain muscle tone, your ability to move and your mental well-being, especially as you age.