In a world dominated by office jobs, the health implications of a sedentary lifestyle are becoming increasingly clear and worrying. This article explores the scientific evidence outlining the risks associated with prolonged periods of sitting and presents practical interventions to counteract these adverse effects.
What are the health risks of a sedentary lifestyle?
Health complications associated with a sedentary lifestyle have become a major public health concern worldwide due to the ever-increasing prevalence of desk-related occupations requiring prolonged sitting. Recent surveys indicate that office workers spend, on average, four to nine hours a day sitting at their desks. This equates to two sedentary months per year.
Prolonged sitting at work can have serious detrimental health effects, ranging from muscle pain to obesity and cardiovascular disease. A new study of postal workers shows that workers involved in desk-related occupations have a larger waist circumference and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those involved in field activities.
Specifically, the study finds that each additional hour spent sitting beyond five hours is associated with a 2cm increase in waist circumference and a 0.2% increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Prolonged sitting is associated with a lower level of energy expenditure than standing or walking. This causes excess fat to accumulate in the body, especially in the abdomen. In addition to causing obesity, this excess fat can increase the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, and high blood cholesterol levels.
A growing number of recent studies indicate that sitting for more than eight hours a day without any physical activity is associated with a mortality risk similar to that caused by obesity and smoking. It has also been shown that the health risks associated with prolonged sitting can be mitigated by performing 60 to 75 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per day.
Premature death is the most harmful outcome associated with prolonged sitting or a sedentary lifestyle. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 3.2 million premature deaths occur worldwide every year due to sedentary lifestyles. Workers who spend long hours sitting at work are at 1.4 times greater risk of premature death after 12 years than those who spend fewer hours sitting at work.
Prolonged sitting can lead to blood pooling in the lower legs and feet, causing swelling and pain in these areas. In the worst case it can lead to the formation of blood clots in a deep vein of the leg (deep vein thrombosis). This condition is potentially dangerous as the clot can travel to the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism.
Prolonged sitting with poor posture can put a significant strain on the spinal cord, shoulders and hips. This can lead to back pain and spinal complications. Persistent postural misalignment can cause muscle fatigue, stiffening of the hip flexors, reduced flexibility of the spine, weakening of the buttock muscles and bones (osteoporosis).
Prolonged sitting is considered an independent contributor to malignancy. Evidence indicates that sitting for more than eight hours a day may increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer, including colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, lung and pancreatic cancer.
Overcome health risks resulting from prolonged sitting
A large body of evidence highlighting the negative health outcomes of prolonged sitting also highlights the fact that even enjoyable movement between prolonged sitting can lead to better health.
According to expert opinion, moving every 30 minutes to an hour can be useful in preventing cardiovascular and musculoskeletal problems. Frequent movement throughout the day is more effective at counteracting the negative effects of prolonged sitting than performing moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for 120 to 150 minutes per week.
The time spent sitting at the workplace can be reduced by using a sit-to-stand desk or a treadmill desk. Pedometer devices or smartphone reminder apps are useful for controlling sedentary habits and monitoring daily activity. In addition to being active, it is also important to focus on the timing and quality of your food intake. Following a healthy and balanced diet on time is very effective in preventing weight gain and obesity.
“Deskercise” is a new term for exercises that can be performed throughout the workday while working at a desk. A growing body of evidence reveals that offshoring is a realistic, accessible and achievable option to counter the odds of a side job. Such exercises are very effective for relieving stress, increasing energy, increasing flexibility and range of motion, and improving overall productivity.
A useful Deskercise routine
The negative health effects of prolonged sitting can be reduced by simply taking a 30-second break and shaking your entire body. The shoulder shrug is another useful exercise for relaxing the muscles of the shoulders, neck and upper arm.
A shrug is performed by taking a deep breath and lifting your shoulders towards your ears, tensing everything as tight as possible. After holding the posture for five seconds, the shoulders are lowered again as you exhale. This exercise should be repeated ten times.
Neck stretches are very helpful in loosening stiff neck and relieving neck pain. For the forward and backward tilt, the chin is tilted towards the chest and held in this position for 15 seconds, followed by lifting the head back into position. The next step is to tilt your chin towards the ceiling, hold it for 15 seconds and return to the original position. The entire process should be repeated several times.
For side tilt, the head is tilted towards the right shoulder and held in position for 5-10 seconds, then returns to the original position. For optimal stretching, your ear should almost touch your shoulder. The same procedure must also be repeated for the left side.
Chair squats are great full-body exercises that strengthen the glutes, legs, and spinal cord to make everyday activities easier. The exercise is performed by sitting on the edge of a chair, followed by standing up and sitting down again with your arms extended in front of your body. This should be repeated 15 times.
Deskercise: Lower back and torso stretches
Chair dips are helpful in strengthening your upper arm and shoulder muscles. The exercise is performed by holding the front edge of a chair on both sides. The feet are placed away from the chair, the legs are kept straight and the heels are on the floor. The body is lowered until the upper arms are parallel to the floor, then returned to the original position. The steps should be repeated ten times.
Chest stretching is helpful in reducing symptoms related to a tight chest. Reduces the risk of injury to the chest muscles. The exercise is performed by interlacing your fingers behind your back, straightening your arms and puffing your chest out while sitting or standing with your back straight. The position is held for 15 seconds.
The quadruple stretch is helpful in increasing body flexibility and reducing back pain and knee pain. The exercise is performed by bending the knee back while standing and grabbing the ankle with one hand, bringing the foot as close as possible and holding it in position for 30 seconds.
Translated by:
News-Medical.net
Source:
Yale Medicine
April 18, 2024
Tags: heres stay fit Deskercise
