Sitting is the New Smoking – Is it true?

Lifestyle of every person has changed a lot in the past few years. Smart devices such as mobile phones and tablets make our work faster and better. Today, we have smart speakers and Robots to book an appointment and do small tasks at home. 

Modern life has many benefits and drawbacks as well. Easy lifestyle has reduced physical work and increased the sitting habit. We sit for long hours in office, home, college and school.

Sitting for a long time can affect mental as well as physical health. This article will tell you about the disadvantages of sitting and how does it affect the body.

What are the Drawbacks of a Sedentary or Easy Lifestyle?

Most of us have sedentary lifestyle in the current times. We hardly do any physical work throughout the day. Apart from that, we also skip exercises and workouts that make your body more inactive.

Sitting for long hours can affect your mental focus. Besides, there are many other disadvantages of a sedentary lifestyle such as:

1. Increase in Weight

This is the first disadvantage of adopting a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting for many hours in one place can increase body weight. It also accumulates fats in different areas of the body such as hips, thighs, waist, legs and belly.

People who sit on a chair for a long time face the problem of obesity. The fats accumulated in the body can cause heart attack, high BP and other problems. 

2. Increases Blood Sugar

Sedentary lifestyle leads to an increase in blood sugar levels. It also increases insulin resistance in the body. People with sitting habit often face Type-2 Diabetes, high BP and other disorders. 

3. Affects Back and Hips

The problem of Hip joint is very common in people these days. It is mainly caused due to sitting for a long time. Sitting for long hours affects hip flexor muscles and gluteals and legs as well.

Besides, one can also experience pain in the back by sitting for long hours. Poor posture is another drawback of sitting for a long time. It also causes compression in the spine discs and increases pain and inflammation. 

4. Stiffness in the Neck and Shoulders

These days, most of us spend about 8 to 10 hours in the office. Working on PC and laptop causes hump in the back. This will further cause stiffness in the neck and shoulders. It also makes it tough for you to move your neck and shoulders. 

5. Affects Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis is a type of leg pain. It is caused by sitting on a chair for many hours. This is a form of blood clot that affects leg veins. It can also stop blood circulation in the body and cause many other serious complications. Moreover, deep vein thrombosis can even affect your lungs. 

6. Gluteals and Legs

Gluteal muscles help in walking, jogging and other physical activities. Sedentary lifestyle can make gluteal muscles weaker day by day. It also affects walking speed and puts a strain on the legs.

Apart from that, the weak gluteal muscles also cause injuries and wounds. People with weak leg muscles fall often while walking, jogging or running. 

7. Weak Mental Health

Those who have to sit for a long time suffer from weak mental health. Sitting in one place for a long time causes tension, depression and anxiety.

Besides, one may also face lack of mental focus on work by sitting for a long time. It also reduces productivity of the employees in the office. Work quality is also degraded by sitting for long hours. 

8. Cancer

You might not know this but sitting for a long time can also cause cancer. It can cause cancer of the colons, uterine and lungs. 

How to Cure the Habit of Sitting?

The habit of sitting for a long time can cause several dangers to the body. It is a little difficult to get rid of this habit but not impossible. If you follow some important tips, it is simple to get rid of sitting habits easily.

#1. Pay Attention to Your Posture

While sitting on a chair or sofa, you must check your posture. You must sit straight by keeping your shoulders backward.

This is the right style of sitting on a chair. Sitting straight will increase blood circulation in the body. It also keeps bones in an aligned position.

#2. Doing Workout Daily

This is one of the best ways to reduce the habit of sitting. You must do exercises and workouts daily to reduce sitting habits. There are various physical tasks that you can do to reduce sitting hours.

You can go for a morning walk or attend a gym. Besides, you can also do various other tasks such as cycling, swimming, biking or skating. These activities make you feel energetic and reduce sitting hours.

#3. Climb Stairs

We often prefer a lift or an escalator to reach to high floors of the building or office. Instead of a lift, you can climb the stairs. It will burn calories and make your body active and energetic.

Make a habit of climbing stairs if you want to get rid of stubborn body weight. It will also cure obesity by reducing the extra fats of the body.

#4. Be Energetic at the Workplace

As you have to spend many hours at the office, it is necessary to be active at the workplace. You should walk a short distance in between the working hours to make your mind fresh.

Apart from that, you should also visit the cabin of colleagues in case of work.

#5. Try Indoor Activities

There are numerous indoor activities that help you in leaving your sitting habit. You can do dancing, yoga poses, squash, martial arts, and other activities and so on.

It is necessary to take a short break from the work but sitting for long hours can affect your body badly. Try these ways and make your life more active.