When you think of simply sitting in a chair, you probably don’t view it as something that could put your health at risk. But according to researchers, it’s one of the biggest potential threats to your health.
“Sitting disease” is a term that describes the serious health consequences of a sedentary lifestyle. It refers to more than 34 chronic conditions and diseases linked to excessive, uninterrupted sitting. This includes a significant number of musculoskeletal issues.
A Bad Habit That Unfortunately Has Become a Norm
Many of us have fallen into the bad habit of sitting for long periods without breaks. It’s a practice that has become ingrained as the norm in our society.
Our office work often involves sitting at a desk in front of a computer for long periods. At home, we plop down in front of the TV and remain stationary for hours. Moreover, our everyday lives seem mired as we travel constantly by car, truck, train, and plane.
In the US, more than 80% of jobs involve mostly sedentary activities. The typical office worker may spend 15 hours per day sitting.
What Research Tells Us About Sitting Too Much
There have been many recent studies on the link between prolonged sitting and health concerns. Researchers analyzed 13 of these studies, which together covered more than 1 million people, to develop a comprehensive perspective.
They found that those who sat for more than eight hours a day with no physical activity had a risk of dying similar to that caused by obesity and smoking. On a positive note, this analysis found that 60-75 minutes of moderately intense physical activity per day offset the effects of excessive sitting.
Another study of 8,000 adults published in the Annals of Internal Medicine also showed an association between prolonged sitting and a risk of early death from any cause. That same study found that people who sat for no more than 30 minutes at a time had the lowest risk.
How Prolonged Sitting Could Be Affecting Your Health
Lower Back Pain and Spine Issues
Prolonged sitting puts significant stress on spinal structures and other joints. This includes the shoulders and hips, especially when sitting with poor posture.
We often sit incorrectly at a computer, with bad habits such as slouching, hunching our shoulders, or craning our neck forward. This compresses spinal discs and strains muscles, leading to chronic pain, headaches, and fatigue.
Sitting can also lead to overall physical deconditioning, early muscle fatigue, weakened core stabilizers, and hip flexor tightness. This results in increased stress on your lower back and reduced spine flexibility.
Prolonged sitting additionally affects the gluteal buttock muscles over time, leading to deactivation and weakening. This is often referred to as gluteal amnesia and can lead to lower back and hip pain.
There is also one more issue to keep in mind. Inactivity and prolonged sitting can lead to bone weakening and osteoporosis.
Vascular Problems
If your lower legs and feet get tired, swollen, and achy, you may be experiencing blood and fluid pooling in those areas after prolonged sitting. In the worst cases, you can develop deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This is when a blood clot forms in a deep leg vein, which is dangerous because it can travel to the lungs.
One of the three reasons people get blood clots is stasis, being still or sedentary. Women who are pregnant or taking birth control, elderly people, and people who smoke are at especially high risk.
Heart Disease
It’s long been established that sitting and a lack of physical activity in general are contributing factors in many cases of cardiovascular disease. This is the leading cause of death in both men and women.
In addition to reducing blood flow to the legs, sitting affects blood sugar regulation and blood pressure. Too much sitting alters the normal function of blood vessels, which can lead to diabetes and heart attacks.
Other considerations in heart health are body mass index and waist circumference. In both cases, the longer you sit and don’t engage in moving activities, the more likely these numbers will increase to your detriment.
Weight Gain and Obesity
Other studies show an association between prolonged sitting and weight gain, with a particularly strong link to diabetes.
Humans are built to stand upright and move around. Our heart and cardiovascular system work more effectively that way.
Moving your muscles helps your body digest the fats and sugars you eat. If you spend a lot of time sitting, digestion is less efficient, so you retain those fats and sugars as body fat.
In today’s world, technology has reduced the need for us to move around as much as previous generations had to. And when we eat, we are often distracted by technology and not focused on our food. This can put us at risk of overeating. Portion control is one of the key factors in maintaining a healthy weight.
Cancer
Sitting at work and a sedentary lifestyle, in general, both appear in studies to be independent contributors to cancer, just like eating too much red meat or smoking.
Extra weight is a cancer risk, and standing burns twice the number of calories as sitting.
The key is to foster a healthy lifestyle overall. This includes regular physical exercise, not smoking, minimizing alcohol and meat, and eating enough fruit and vegetables.
Breaking the Sitting Cycle
Sitting can be inevitable, especially at work. However, simple modifications to your routine can make a big difference.
If you work in an office, try to take a 5-minute movement break every 30 minutes or so. If that long break isn’t realistic, even moving a few minutes will help. Using a standing desk can also help.
Try to break up mealtimes by taking a walk before or after, if possible. If you are in your truck or car all day, consider eating outside your vehicle when you pull over.
If you sit a lot at work, try to limit your sitting during your off hours. Being active after work can offset the impacts of sitting most of the day.
It’s OK to enjoy some screen time. But try to limit how long you watch. Taking breaks can help you move more. You could even walk in place while you’re watching TV or do some stretching during commercial breaks.