Sedentary Strain: The Emerging Health Concern of Prolonged Sitting.
In recent years, extensive research has brought to light a very concerning health issue that affects people across all the ages and professions - the effects of too much sitting. With growing rates of obesity and also conditions like heart disease and also diabetes, scientists have been searching for contributors to the poor metabolic health. What they’ve found is that prolonged sedentary time is now considered an independent risk factor, regardless of whether you get the doctor-recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise.
This phenomenon has been termed “active couch potato syndrome.” Someone may workout every day, but if they sit at a desk job for 8-10 hours, in the car for long commutes, and on the couch at home, those non-exercise sedentary hours can still negatively impact their health. Too much sitting or lying down seems to confuse the body. Researchers are still studying the mechanisms, but lab tests reveal that just a day of prolonged sitting decreases the insulin sensitivity and also good cholesterol levels, which can eventually contribute to the weight gain and heart disease.
This epidemic of excessive sitting doesn’t just affect the adults in desk jobs. Children spend over 7 hours a day in front of the screens, exacerbated further by remote learning. The average senior watches over 7 hours of TV per day. The human body was designed to move, and most modern lifestyles counter this need. Studies show that those who sit for more than 8 hours of leisure daily have a 64% increased risk for the death within the next fifteen years compared to those sitting less than 4 hours a day.
The good news is that the scientists have also seen that breaking up large sitting periods can counteract all these concerning health impacts. Setting phone alarms, using standing desks, taking brief walking breaks, or doing simple at-desk exercises are small modifications that a lot of research reveals can all help alleviate sitting’s strain.
In conclusions, prolonged sedentary time is now recognized as a very distinct health concern, but introducing more movement of any kind into the day can minimize the risks. As the research continues investigating sitting’s long term effects, creating a habit of taking breaks can promote better health.