Maybe you read it in another article or heard it in a podcast or video. The last few months sitting became a subject of discussion of many people. What sitting does to the body? Why is it so bad? What can we do to stop the negative effects of it?
Scientists studied that issue a lot lately and because of what they found people got so obsessed with it. They found that spending hours sitting kills more people than smoking. Crazy, right? Of course you shouldn’t be relieved that is worse than smoking and you found an excuse to continue to smoke or even at least try to lower your nicotine consumption. I’m just trying to show you how bad sitting is. People who sit for at least 6 hours per day they have 40% more chance to die earlier. Yeap, so get up and keep reading.
What causes that high percentage? Let’s narrow it down:
- The heart is at high risk and especially for people who have desk jobs the rate of heart disease is twice than others
- Cardiovascular disease because your lungs have less space to work and it’s harder to breathe
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Kidney and liver problems
- Obesity because the enzymes that help break down fat are reduced drastically
- Less brain activity
- Sitting in a curved position pressures the back and the neck, creating pains which become health problems in the end
- Muscle atrophy which decreases the mass muscle and makes the muscles weaker especially the leg muscles and hip flexors
Now you can see how bad sitting for a long period of time is for your health. I hope you are already standing while reading this article and changed your mindset about it. It’s not something hard to do for your health. You just need to make a few adjustments in your daily activities.
You can buy a standing desk or treadmill desk. Even big companies started buying these for their staff so that they can be healthier and more creative. There are a few stores online that you can buy any type and style you like. It’s a game changer for anyone that works at an office all day long. You can also do what I did and that will cost you nothing or at least less than €5, which is create your own. Find any kind of boxes, books or anything else that you don’t need it anymore, stack them on your desk and put your laptop or computer’s keyboard on them. That will give them the height needed to make you stand and do your work. Here’s my example, simple and cheap, but effective.
When you have to sit at least do it with straight back and chest out. Moreover, when you sit for many hours every 30 minutes stand up do some stretches or go for a walk. Especially when you finish eating try doing that. That will help your people digest the food easier. Even when someone calls you stand up and start walking while talking to the phone. Muscles will have to work more and blood will flow through them; the way they supposed to work. For those that work at a company and can’t stand up all the time; you can go to the toilet and do the stretches below, while no one notices you.
Quadriceps stretch:
Glutes Stretch:
Groin Stretch:
Posterior chain stretch:
Rhomboids stretch:
Side bends:
Chest stretch:
Wrists stretches (1):
Wrists stretches (2):
Of course there going to be times that you feel tired and your feet and maybe back are in pain because of standing for a few hours. Go ahead and sit. That’s the only reason that you should sit, to relax and rest. Dopamine will fire up in your brain and you will feel even more pleasure of sitting and you will appreciate it more like every other craving.
By doing at least a few of these habits every day you are already healthier and you increase your longevity. You will lose weight faster than before because your body will have to work most of the day. Your mobility and flexibility will increase if you do the stretches. Therefore pains also go away. You will have more alertness, productivity, creativity and concentration while working because your body when seated knows that you are relaxing, and when you are standing up you are ready to do something. Finally the blood will circulate in your body and that will help your organs, and in general your whole system to work properly.
The human body was created to move, not sit all the time. The first humans used their body to climb, run and hunt so that they can eat. But technology except of all the advantages that gave us, it also gave us some disadvantages like this one, which is really important. So start using your body the way it supposed to be used.
Share this article to inform more people and tell us your thoughts in the comments below: Did you try these tips? Did you feel healthier? Did you create or bought a desk? Show us yours. What other stretches do you use? Do you have any other suggestions to make?