Danger of sitting for long hours !

Sitting for long hours or being inactive can be very harmful to your health, according to research, sitting for long hours can give you high blood pressure and can even increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease as well as a cancer. In fact, any extended sitting like that wherever it is at your desk, in your car or even during the long flight can be very harmful.

When we are sitting, we naturally use less energy compared to standing or moving. Sitting in one position for a long period of time can lead to several serious health problems, that include obesity, high blood sugar, excess of the body fat as well as abnormal cholesterol levels. You are putting yourself into risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Humans bodies are built to stand upright, our heart and entire cardiovascular system work more efficiently this way. Even our bowel can function at its best when we are up right.

Some side effects from sitting all day long include:

• metabolic problems which can lead to heart diseases and even stroke, when we move our muscles this helps the body to digest the fat and sugar from our diet. If we spend loads of time sitting, digestion is no longer as efficient, so the body will retain all these sugars and fat.
• Leg and gluteals: sitting for long can lead to weakening and wasting away of the muscles in your leg and gluteal muscles. These large muscles are very important for walking and keeping us stabilised. If these muscles get weak, we are prominent to injuries from falls as well as from exercises.
• Hip and joint problems. Sitting causes our hip muscles to shrink, which can lead to serious problems with the joints in hip. The same goes for the problem with your back, especially if one chose to consistently sit with poor posture or does not use any ergonomically designed environment such as special desks or chairs.
• Cancer. Research concluded that sitting for a long time can really increase a chance of developing some cancer, that include lung, uterine as well as colon cancers
• Blood clots. Sitting constantly can get you in serious trouble of developing blood clots. They are very dangerous as they can travel through your veins into lungs, brain and heart and cause death.

So you will ask, OK, but I have to work for so many hours and how I can stay healthy during work time?

When you are active physically, your energy levels and endurance increase, your bones will maintain strength. You can do certain exercises at your desk, you can work in standing position for few minutes, you can answer the phone while walking, you can pump your knees moving your feet upwards and downwards to pump the blood.

On top of this, try to kick your day with some cardio training: it could be fast walking, running or cycle exercise, you may get a stationary bike too. Try to dedicate at least 30minutes every morning into this exercise.
It is important that every 30 minutes you take a break from sitting, stand up and walk even short distance, try to be up for at 3-5 minutes. Set reminders or alarms in your phone and place that phone in visible place where you will need to stand up and walk to !

The overall impact of movement, even for leisure, can be profound. You will not only burn more calories, which may lead to weight loss and increased levels of energy, but also physical activate helps to maintain muscle tone and dramatically improve your brain power and focus as with proper movement and cardio training there is blood going properly within your circulation. All of these things will lead us to mental and physical well-being.

Do you take breaks from sitting at your desk? How often? Please feel free to share in the comments section below.

All the best,
Lucas