The new threat to health:… sitting?
In a study that analyzed the risks of sitting, it was found that people who sat for more than six hours a day had a greater risk of mortality.
Sitting seems to be one of the worst things we can do too much. And despite this, our lives are becoming more and more sedentary every day. ** In a study of more than 100,000 men and women over 14 years, people who sat more than six hours a day were found to have a greater risk of mortality than people who sat three hours or less a day. This risk did not change in people who, despite sitting for so long, led a lifetime of physical activity (exercise). Those of us who work in sedentary jobs have double the risk of suffering from heart disease. Not to mention that 3 hours a day of watching TV increases the risk of heart disease. And what happens is that, when we sit down, several metabolic and physical changes begin to occur:
- At rest, our metabolism plummets, which means we burn calories to a minimum.
- Blood circulation in our legs becomes slow. Which most likely means varicose veins.
- Sitting for a long time also shortens, hardens and weakens the hip.**
- It makes our gluteal muscles shut down.
- Our bodies produce higher levels of triglycerides and C-reactive protein (which helps with inflammation). And so what can we do to counteract this situation? The answer is never easy because we are so used to sitting that many things like the office, the coffee shop and even the house make it difficult to make a change. But don’t worry, we are going to leave you the best tips that you can integrate into your routine without breaking it completely 🙂
- First of all, set an alarm on your phone or computer every 10 to 15 minutes and when it goes off get up and stretch.
- Instead of a coffee, propose a walking meeting. It can be in a park or even a square.
- Stand and walk to take phone calls.
- Park your car further to walk even a little.
- Choose to stand if you take public transportation.
- If you have the opportunity, use a yoga/exercise ball instead of a chair in the office. Involves the movement of more parts of your body even when sitting
- Get a standing desk. Ok this is more difficult, but if you have the possibility, it wouldn’t hurt at all.
- Find any opportunity to not sit so long at work. Use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk on your breaks, etc.
