9 Health Risks Of Sedentary Lifestyle You Must Know

As technology is advancing, we have become capable of living more comfortable life than our ancestors and whether at work or at home, we have numerous appliances or gadgets that has made life easier and less troublesome. But with the increasing popularity of technological devices, we are hearing the words ‘sedentary lifestyle’ more and more too. In fact, a few decades before these words were not much popular.

Why Is Sedentary Lifestyle Considered A Threat To Healthy Lifestyle?

This is because as our life is getting comfortable, our routine physical activity has diminished and our diet patterns too have undergone a major change. Our ancestors used to work hard without using technological devices and they used to walk long distances to reach their work place. Even for basic necessities, they used to walk for miles. But we have been equipped with televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, dish washers, etc at home and we have automated machines working at our factories and offices. We don’t have the need to commute by walking as there are public buses, trains and cars that ensure us a comfortable ride. We even have been facilitated with home delivery of things we desire.

Medical studies have said that lack of physical activity is one of the leading causes for preventable death worldwide. Since most people have sitting jobs, it is said that sitting for more than 5 hours a day can be a pertinent reason for premature deaths and early occurrence of lifestyle diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart diseases, etc.

An international research found that sitting for more than 5 hours a day and having low intensity physical activity causes:

1. Low production of enzymes responsible for burning fat.
2. Reduced metabolism rate.
3. Decreased flow of energy to legs.

As our body ages, we lose our vitality and hence we are unable to undertake much physical activities. But indulging in less physical activities while being in 20s or 30s will make your body less efficient and will start ageing earlier. Your body’s mechanism basically works due to your physical activity. You intake calories and your body burns it to produce energy for working. Proper functioning of digestion system, cardiovascular system and appropriate flow of blood is all a result of physical activity.

Here are 9 health risks of sedentary lifestyle you must know in order to take time on your health and avoid being a victim of a highly comfortable life:

1. Obesity

The increasing percentage of obese people including children around the world has been notified as a result of leading an inactive lifestyle. It has been studied that after 90 minutes of sitting, our metabolism shuts down and our body’s cells becomes less responsive to insulin activities. Even the muscles release lower levels of enzymes that help in burning cholesterol. This kind of prolonged sitting causes accumulation of fats in the body and only physical activity can help in burning fat and excess calories. Thereby lack of physical activity and watching more television, playing video games and using devices instead of working physically has made people obese.

2. Heart/ Cardiovascular Disease

Lack of adequate physical activities and sitting for more than 4 hours a day at a stretch can lead to slow blood circulation and it also decreases the muscles’ speed to burn fat. This causes gradual accumulation of fats in the arteries. Prolonged sitting can thereby lead to high blood pressure issues and high cholesterol levels and people who sit for more than 8 hours a day are twice more at risk of suffering from these health issues. Even medical studies have compared between people who have sitting jobs and who have jobs with medium to high intensity physical activities and the result was that people with sitting jobs mostly experienced heart attacks and cardiovascular disorders in comparison to the latter ones.

3. Diabetes

Insulin is a hormone that our body produces so that energy in the form of glucose can be distributed to the cells. But due to lack of physical activity, the cells in the idle muscles don’t respond in tandem with the continuous insulin activity. This causes over production of insulin that can lead to diabetes. A recent study found that people who sat for more than 5 hours a day had comparatively high blood sugar levels signalling slow activity of cells leading to excess secretion of insulin hormone. Such people are highly prone to suffer from type 2 diabetes.

4. Cancer

A study in 2011 revealed that breast and colon cancer are related to physical inactivity. In fact, people who have sitting jobs or who spend most of their time sitting are at a higher risk of suffering from cancer. The American Cancer Society conducted a study in 2010 where they found that women who sat more than six hours a day were at a 37 percent greater risk of dying prematurely in comparison to women who sat less then 3 hours at a stretch. In case of men, premature death risk is higher by 18 percent. Though the actual reason for increased cancer risk cannot be ascertained but it is said that lack of physical movements cause reduced production of natural antioxidants due to which there is uncontrollable growth of cancer causing free radicals.

5. High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is one of most common results of living a sedentary lifestyle. Blood pressure is the force with which blood moves from the heart to all parts of the body. If the pressure of blood remains high, then it can cause major changes in the functioning of the body parts. It is only physical activity through which you can regulate blood flow and attain normal blood pressure. But indulging in workouts and then sitting for 5 or more hours will not help in reducing the risk of suffering from high blood pressure.

6. Back Ache/ Neck Pain

You need to make frequent physical movements in case you have a sitting job to protect your back from losing its flexibility. If your spine hasn’t moved for hours together, then it become inflexible and worse, sensitive. It can be prone to severe damage by just indulging in some high intensity physical activity. It is said that when we move around, the soft discs between our vertebrae expand and contract just like sponges to soak fresh blood and nutrients. When we sit for longer durations, these disks lose their sponginess and hardens due to which you may face chronic back and neck pains.

7. Muscle Degeneration

When you stand, walk or move, you use your abdominal muscles to keep your posture straight. However, when you sit, you start bending and in keeping yourself seated for longer duration, your back and stomach muscles start stiffening, due to which your posture becomes disproportionate.

8. Depression

Many studies have found that our brain needs physical activity to keep its health intact. The secretion of hormones such as endorphins that keep us perked up can be stimulated only by following an active lifestyle. If you sit long hours in the same place and indulge in no physical movement, then your brain’s functioning may get adversely affected. Your concentration levels and memorising capabilities may drop and you may even feel upset and depressed.

9. Osteoporosis

Low bone density is perhaps the reason why people are suffering from osteoporosis. Your hip and lower body bones lose their density when they are less active. Thereby, when you stand, walk or run, your lower body has to bear the weight of the rest of the body and they get further weakened.

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