Most people believe that the problem with sedentary living is that you don’t move. Every minute, every hour spent sitting at your desk or on the couch is the time spent not walking, lifting heavy objects, or sprinting. 

According to research by WHO, all causes of mortality are increased by sedentary habits, which also double the risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Leading a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to other dangers including colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, lipid disorders, depression, and anxiety. 

Sedentary lifestyles are one of the most important yet under-addressed public health issues of our time, with 60 to 85% of people in the world—from both developed and developing countries—leading them. 

Nearly two-thirds of kids are thought to be insufficiently active, which has detrimental effects on their health in the long run. To be sure, this is part of the problem with being sedentary, and we shall discuss it further in this blog.

The Risk of Disease and Mortality Rises with Sedentary Lifestyle

The more sedentary you are, for instance, the higher your risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event, succumbing to a cardiovascular event, or passing away altogether, according to a 2012 meta-analysis of trials involving roughly 800,000 combined participants. The findings were “essentially independent of physical activity,” the researchers continued, “giving further support to the idea that sedentary behaviour is a separate behaviour in its own right.” Sedentary lifestyle, chronic illness, and shortened lifespan are clearly related.

While seated, you burn fewer calories 

Undoubtedly, going to the gym or taking a yoga session will burn calories. However, you’d be astonished at how many calories you burn just by standing and moving around. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, is the term used to describe this low-intensity energy expenditure. One of the best strategies to prevent weight gain is to make sure your energy level is high. The amount of calories you burn every day through NEAT is limited by low-energy activities like sitting or lying down because they don’t use much energy.

Sitting more often increases the likelihood of gaining weight

It should not be surprising that the longer you sit, the less calories you burn and the greater the likelihood that you will gain weight. Sitting for extended periods of time not only causes weight growth, but it can also cause severe weight gain, such as obesity. Your chances of developing obesity increase as you lead a more sedentary lifestyle. According to a study, obese persons spend 2 more hours per day sitting down than the normal person. This implies that an obese person spends at least 14 hours per day sitting down.

Lower back pain & Osteoporosis

Inactive people are more likely to experience bone health issues. Degenerative disc disease, which has the symptom of intervertebral disc narrowing, is considered by some to be the single most significant structural risk factor for low back pain. The decrease of calcium in a person’s bones, which increases the risk of fracture, is the hallmark of osteoporosis. Loss of bone mass is encouraged by a sedentary lifestyle. Fractures are more likely to occur if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, have bad posture, poor balance, and weak muscles.

Loss of Flexibility, Lower Metabolism, Increased Chances of Dementia, Depression, and Anxiety. 

Muscles that are tightly bound restrict blood flow. As flexibility is compromised, inflammation and discomfort raise their ugly heads. Your hip flexors and low back will become more and more stiff the more you sit. Additionally, your glutes and abs lose strength. Less calories are expended by leading a sedentary lifestyle. Your body’s capacity to digest fat largely shuts down. Few people know how closely the mind and lack of movement are related, especially in the elderly. However, you don’t have to be old to experience the damaging consequences of a sedentary lifestyle on the mind.

What can you then do? Nobody can remain active all day, and you must go to work. There is a choice to be made here. Pick to develop good habits:

• When you sit or lie down, stand up often and change positions. Daily micro-workouts should be incorporated.

• Make an attempt to move over the course of your workday. Make a workstation that is active. Give yourself several options for leaning, standing, and sitting. Various surfaces—tall stools, benches without backs, exercise balls—impose different biomechanical stresses when seated. Invest much in an under-desk treadmill or bicycle.

Takeaway

Studies have shown that a sedentary lifestyle is associated with severe health conditions. The risks of a sedentary lifestyle can be reduced by increasing the amount of physical activity and following a nutritious diet.