Sitting is the new smoking?

We all have heard. But is this true?  Is sitting in a chair that bad for you? While Work From Home (WFM) is becoming a new normal, most of us are now spending nine hours a day sitting down. Let’s look at how our sedentary modern lifestyle is becoming a ticking health time bomb

We all have been hearing how living a sedentary lifestyle can be dangerous to your health. Especially during the current pandemic situation, the less sitting or lying down you do, the more your body losses the chance of living a healthy life. Do we really look into these things seriously? Let’s not lie to ourselves. Most of our answers are NO.

If you stand or move around during the day, you have a lower risk of early death than if you sit at a desk.

Since the infinite lockdown and WFM series, we all are living an inactive lifestyle. What does it mean to your body?

We must understand that a human body is built to stand upright. Thus it functions effectively when you are upright.

Previously, before remote work situations, you were physically active, maybe by traveling to the office, packing for kids to school, doing regular house chores on time to maintain the busy day schedules. However, now sitting for long periods can lead to weakening of Gluteal muscles.

Even if you exercise but spend a large amount of time sitting, you are still risking health with common problems like metabolic syndrome.

Sitting for long periods and with poor posture and not using an ergonomically designed chair or workstation will definitely hit your back. This results in poor spine health such as compression in the discs in your spine, leading to premature degeneration, which can be very painful. Few more of these problems are;

Cancer

Recent studies say the dangers of long sitting in improper posture may develop some types of cancer, including lung, uterine, and colon cancers. The reason behind this is not yet known.

Heart disease

Many of us are not aware of the link between sitting for long periods and heart disease. A person who watches more than 23 hours of television a week is more likely to have risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than men who only watch 11 hours of television a week. 

Diabetes

A human body lying for five days can attract insulin resistance in the body (this will cause blood sugars which is harmful to anybody). Studies also proved people spending more time sitting can develop 112% higher risk of diabetes.

Stiff neck and shoulders

If you spend your time hunched over a laptop/computer keyboard, no sooner you will be attacked by pain and stiffness in your neck and shoulders.

So isn’t it correct to say that this is a ticking time bomb of ill health just waiting to explode?

How sedentary are we?

“Sit but sit at your body’s comfort” is a slogan to remind people of correct posture and comfort at the same time. So, let’s not just make our body sit on it!  Let’s walk the talk…move more and sit less.

How Your Chair May Be Hurting You? Are you sitting comfortably? Let’s not again skip these questions that you might have been doing for ages before the remote work situation.

Sitting is inevitable! But don’t worry when you can ward off those negative side effects to your body.

Let’s directly go to the solution; Gift a perfect chair to yourself! 

Choosing a new chair is quite easy these days, but there should be little research before selecting a chair. This is because you no longer need to get more entangled with computers. Whether working at an office or remotely, the chairs you sit are very important. It not just contributes to your work productivity but also eases your body muscles.

Though there are many options on the internet that easily attract viewers with dynamic pictures and flashing discounts, pick a chair has all the qualities of a conventional office chair. Check if it features an adjustable-height desk or laptop cart, ability to provide you both cushioning and firmness. You should be able to sense movement in your foot bones and ankles when standing. 

Hope you enjoy this blog. And do let me know what else you would like to read next!