Prolonged Sitting and How it Affects Your Health, Productivity and Lifespan

Long sitting is a key catalyst to other diseases

Late 2018, we organized a back pain conversation with a movement specialist, Hey Coach Panda to discuss the right movement postures and the various causes of backaches. The conversation was an insightful one that lasted over two hours and the attendees really got their problem solved. The take-home piece was:

• “Many people are susceptible to many diseases because they sit a lot
• Movement is life. You should learn to move more and move well”

How harmful is long sitting?

In discussing what happens in your body when you sit for long, Gavin Bradley, director of Active Working, says

“Metabolism slows down 90 per cent after 30 minutes of sitting. The enzymes that move the bad fat from your arteries to your muscles, where it can get burned off, slow down. The muscles in your lower body are turned off. And after two hours, good cholesterol drops 20 per cent.”

Sadly, many people sit for more than 8 hours daily. Gavin advises you alternate sitting and standing regularly.

So, what are the effects of long sitting?

Sitting for long remains a key catalyst to different diseases. When you sit you are inactive; and this state causes weight gain, weakens body muscle and increases the chances of cardiovascular diseases.

We will clearly outline them below:

Weight gain and Type 2 diabetes

Weight maintenance is a mathematical equation of calories intake and calories burned. To lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you take in. And to gain weight, you lose fewer calories than you consume.

Diabetes sets in when your pancreas can’t make enough insulin to regulate your sugar level because you have eaten much more calories than you burn over time. Hence, relaxed activities like sitting have a deep effect on your calories use.

Weak bones and muscles:

Your muscles and bones should be regularly used in order to maintain flexibility and strength. But you avoid using them when you sit. This leads to muscle atrophy — the weakening of muscles.

Heart disease:

When sitting, the heart is at a state of rest, body metabolism reduces, blood flow slows down, thereby allowing fatty acids easily clog the heart.

Neck and back pain

Backache remains one of the leading health issues affecting the average worker. Although, back pain is usually caused by postural stress (slouching and the likes), sitting for long puts additional pressure on the spine and worsens the stress.

Depression and anxiety:

Sitting for long has been found to slightly increase anxiety and depression levels because you miss out from endorphins (happy hormones) that are released when one is engaged in physical activity.

Stiff neck and shoulders

This is caused by slouching with poor posture while viewing the computer monitor or looking downward at a mobile phone for prolonged periods.

So what should you do?

By now, you should understand that sitting for long is very bad for your health and productivity at work. You live in the city where your commute is not only far and uncomfortable, you also have to sit all through. Worst still, the nature of your job requires that you sit all through the day and experience those frequent aches.

While you might just have no other choice than to sit for long daily. There are lifestyle adjustments you can make. Such as:

• Sitting right

In as much as you can’t avoid sitting, you should learn how to sit right. Because sitting right puts less strain on your spine discs, reduces pain, improves your physical health and makes you really look smart on your work desk. The right sitting posture means that the key parts of your body are correctly aligned and are supported by the right amount of muscle tension.

How to sit right -

Your knees should be lower than your pelvis. The seat should be high enough to relax your shoulders and leaving your arms at a 90-degree angle to your desk. Your face should be level with your monitor.

Managing your sitting

It’s great you have learnt how to sit right. The next step is to manage how long you sit and the lifestyle adaptations to correct long sitting defects.

• Take regular breaks

Get up at regular intervals. Move around a minimum of 2–5 minutes every hour and leave your work desk for your lunch and coffee breaks.

• Stand too

Alternate between standing and sitting when working. Get a standing work desk if you can.

• Active Sitting

Sitting still doesn’t excuse you from being active. Sit on a physioball or ergonomic chair. Do calf and leg lifts, arm stretches, clenches and move any other part of the body you can.

• Live an active lifestyle

In the end, living a healthy and fit lifestyle can still go a long way in correcting and reducing some (not all) of these long sitting defects.

Walk more, use the stairs, stretch, exercise and don’t forget your leg and back muscles, drink enough water, eat well and have enough rest.

This article is for educative purposes only and not to be substituted for professional medical advice.