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How Bad For Your Health Is Long Time Sitting?

How Bad For Your Health Is Long Time Sitting?


The different activities of modern society, often accompanied by technological tasks, force us to spend most of our time sitting like never before.
However, the posture of spending so much time sitting can have negative health effects.

 

This article clarifies the health implications of sitting for a long time.

People Sit More Than Ever

People who work, socialize, study or travel usually do so sitting down, as it is a common body posture. Despite this, it does not mean that sitting and other sedentary behaviors are harmless.

On average, a person spends more than half the day sitting, doing activities such as driving, working in the office or watching television.


It is a fact that a typical office worker can spend up to 15 hours a day sitting. On the contrary, other jobs such as those in the field, allow you to sit for about 3 hours a day.

Sitting Down Lowers The Amount Of Calories You Burn

Non-exercise activities, such as standing, walking, and even fidgeting, also burn calories. This energy expenditure is known as non-exercise activity thermogenesis, and its absence is a major risk factor for weight gain.

Sedentary behaviors such as lying down and sitting down involve reduced energy expenditure, and severely limit the calories you burn.

It is a panorama that studies reveal, when they report that farmworkers can burn up to 1,000 more calories a day, compared to people who work in offices. This is because farmworkers spend most of their time walking and standing.

Sitting increases the risk of gaining weight

Your chances of gaining weight increase when the calories you burn are reduced. This is the reason why sedentary behavior is so closely linked to obesity.

Indeed, research shows that obese people sit an average of more than two hours each day, compared to people of normal weight.

Sitting Is Associated With Premature Death

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Observational data on more than 1 million people shows that the more sedentary you are, the more likely you are to die prematurely.

The study showed that the most sedentary people had a 22-49% higher risk of premature death. Reliable source.


 
However, while most studies support this finding, another study found no link between waiting time and overall mortality.

Sedentary Behavior And Its Relationship With Diseases
Sedentary behavior has been a continuing risk factor, associated with more than 30 chronic diseases and conditions, including a 112% increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes and a 147% increase in the risk of heart disease. Reliable source.

Studies have shown that walking less than 30 minutes per day, or sitting for long periods without reducing calorie intake, can cause a significant increase in insulin resistance, which is a key factor in type 2 diabetes.

 
Leading a sedentary life can have a direct effect on insulin resistance, an effect that can occur in as little as one day.

Exercise Doesn't Completely Eliminate Risk

While regular exercise is always recommended, it doesn't fully outweigh all the health risks of prolonged sitting.

One study ( see source ) measured metabolic markers in 20 people following different exercise protocols. This found that 1 hour of intense exercise did not compensate for the negative effects of inactivity from spending other hours sitting.

Additionally, a review of 48 studies found that prolonged sedentary time was strongly linked to negative health outcomes, regardless of exercise levels.

As expected, the negative effects were even greater for people who rarely exercised. See source .

How to Minimize Risk

Western societies spend too much time sitting still, yet the risks of this sedentary behavior can be minimized by trying the following:source

While rest is beneficial, try to minimize the time you spend sitting during the workday.
If you have an office job, one solution is to get a standing desk or go for a walk during your workday.
Minimizing sedentary time is as important to health as a nutritious diet and regular exercise.source.source (1)

 

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