Did you know that the human body was originally designed to be in motion? Yes think about this, before the invention of:
- The automobiles, people trekked to places (or used horses, camels, donkeys and other animals)
- The computer people did most of the jobs the computer is solving now
- Washing machines people manually watched clothes
- Tractors people manually cultivated their farms and gardens
Then technology crept in ans slowly chipped away these physical activities by introducing more advanced,easier and reliable ones.
Although technology has many benefits, in fact it has helped the world in a great way but it also came with a lot of disadvantages and the sitting disease is one of them.
What Is Sitting Disease?
Common sedentary lifestyles that we exhibit include watching of TV, driving, using the computer, playing games and even eating.
5 Common Signs You’re Suffering from “Sitting Disease”
- Poor Posture
The human body is shaped by his (or her) daily activities, spending most of the days hours sitting down at a spot can conform to this position. Spending long hours in an office can cause the shoulders and neck to lean forward.This is the reason people that spend long hours in the office usually feel sore the day.
- Slower Metabolism and Weight Gain
Do you know that the human body burns 50 more calories each hour by standing when compared to those burnt while sitting? Adding this up, you'll get 400 more categories burnt per day and 2,000 per week. By standing up, your abdominal muscles work very well to keep you upright. They also increase the strength of the abdominal muscles and help slim down your waistline.In the negative side, prolonged sitting slows down the body metabolism because reduced contractions of the muscle act less quickly in removing fat from the blood stream. As the effects of the insulin begins to weaken, your weight will begin to increase, and in turn there will be an increased risk of diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
- Back and Spinal Injuries
The strength of the spinal muscles is affected by our daily activities and sitting down for long weakens the spine and psoas. When the psoas is inactive, the disks will become brittle and dehydrated. It'll also become inflexible because the collagen will harden around the supporting tendons and ligaments.- Chronic Fatigue
You'll start noticing common signs of fatigue which include feeling sleepy and unfocused at work. The blood sugar level increases when not active and it can lead to chronic fatigue. However, when you are standing or walking, your motion helps in increasing the blood circulation and also stabilization of the blood sugar level which in turn will help you gain vigor, clarity and productivity needed to carry out your daily tasks.- Repetitive Use Injuries
Repetitive motion injuries like tendinitis and bursitis can be caused by long hours of sitting. A mild aching that my later metamorphose into severe pain and in some cases, may signal the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. An efficient and ergonomic desk, can help you in adjusting the workstation’s height to enable your hands, elbows and wrists rest at the appropriate level. This will help you avoid repetitive use injuries.Facts About The Sitting Disease
- Physical inactivity is the fourth-leading risk factor for death
- Each hour you sit, you can slash your life expectancy by nearly 22 minutes
- Only 15% of people on Earth are aware of sitting disease- About 47% of people believe they are at risk for sitting disease
- The average American spends more than 12 hours a day sitting, this increases the risk of the sitting disease by a great percentage
- People that spend much time sitting have an increased risk of osteoporosis versus those who are more active
- Young girls experience 33% reduced vascular function after 3 hours of uninterrupted sitting
- $85 billion is lost a year in healthcare due to low back pain associated with sedentary behavior
- Decreasing the sitting time helped reduce upper back and neck pain by 54% after a research
- When you sit, the production of enzymes that help you break down fat drops by 90%
- 1-2 minute breaks from sitting each hour is enough to lower risk factors of cancer
- 92,000 cases of breast and colon cancer in the United States each year are linked to a lack of physical activity
How To Avoid The Sitting Disease
You need to rise up against the Sitting Disease if you want to have a healthy life. You need to get up and move, have some exercises and...do the following things:- Walk faster
Walking faster strengthens your muscles, helps you burn more calories and also great for your lungs and heart. So whether you are walking to a shopping mall, getting to your car, going down a hall way or just strolling, try increasing your step.- Take the stairs
In some cases, you can't do without the stairs. For example, if you live in a developing African country where just a few offices have elevators, you must have to walk through a staircase on a daily basis. However in the developed countries, majority of high-rise buildings have elevators so you're left to chose which path to take. It'll be advisable for you to climb the stairs at least two minutes a day.- Dance
Who doesn't enjoy dancing? Whenever you hear a nice music you'll want to exercise your body to move to the tune. Do you know that this also helps in controlling the sitting disease?- Try adding 15 minutes of walking to your normal lunch menu
In every family, about 30-60 minutes is devoted to lunch daily but an average person doesn't eat for more than 10 minutes. Do you know that adding 10 minutes of walking to the lunch time will do a great deal in controlling the Sitting Disease?Well now you know,so try it now.
Conclusion
Also, don't forget to share this post.
Definition of Terms
Psoas: This is a deep-seated core muscle that is connecting the lumbar vertebrae to the femur.Fatigue: This is a subjective feeling of tiredness that has a gradual onset.
Tendinitis (tendonitis): This is an inflammation or irritation of a tendon
Tendon: This is a thick cord that attaches bone to muscle.
Bursitis: This is the inflammation or irritation of the bursa.
Bursa: This is a sac filled with lubricating fluid, located between tissues such as bone, muscle, tendons, and skin, that decreases rubbing, friction, and irritation.
Osteoporosis: This involves a gradual weakening of the bones.
https://www.vertosmed.com/find-physician/florida/miami
https://www.juststand.org/the-facts
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/how-to-stretch-and-strengthen-the-psoas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatigue
https://www.standupdeskstore.com/standing-news/5-signs-you-are-suffering-from-sitting-disease
https://www.businessinsider.com/14-horrible-things-that-can-happen-if-you-sit-at-your-desk-for-too-long-2014-3?IR=T
https://www.rd.com/health/healthcare/rise-up-against-sitting-disease/
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/arthritis-bursitis
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/arthritis-tendinitis
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155646.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_Factbook_list_of_developed_countries
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