It's a wonderful thing to post again here on blurt after a long period of time. Today, I will be sharing with you on the "Dangers of sitting for too long."
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For many people, the average day involves a lot of time spent sitting, especially for those that work in an office or a workshop. That is, many people spend over seven hours sitting down every day. Researchers have asserted that "sitting is the new smoking", and prolonged sitting increases the risk of developing serious illnesses. Extended sitting such as at a desk, behind a wheel, or in front of a screen, can be dangerous to your health. The effect it can have on people's health can be long or short-term.
Researchers have linked sitting for a long period of time with a number of health concerns. Sitting for long relaxes the muscles, and when the muscles are relaxed, they take little glucose from the blood, thereby increasing the risk of condition such as; heart diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes, high blood sugar, obesity, scourges, abnormal cholesterol levels, metabolic syndrome, lower back pain and so on. Sitting for too long also tightens the hip flexor; it stiffens the joint and hamstring muscles. More so, it slows the metabolism, which affects the body's ability to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, and break down body fat.
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Prolonged sitting puts significant stress on spinal structures as well as other joint such as the shoulder and hips. Other dangers include: week legs, depression and anxiety, bad back, stiff shoulder and neck, and so on. Living in sedentary lifestyle can negatively affect your health. The less sitting you do during the day, the better your chance of living a healthy life.
Having known the dangers involved, how can you avoid the harm caused by sitting for too long? "Sit less, move more" is what the American Heart Association encourages. How do you achieve this? Try as much as possible to include more activities into your days, and flex your muscles; set a timer to remind you to get up and move around; take a walk during break and stand often (take phone calls while standing, read while standing or pacing around, and stand during conversations). Sometimes you can take a walk instead of driving, or taking transport to short distances. Avoid long period of sitting in front of TV or computers.
As much as possible, do joint-relieving exercises, and use and adjustable standing desk for your computer. Also, step away from work periodically. A high level of moderate physical exercise helps to eliminate the risk of death associated with long sitting periods. Moving more helps to improve your physical health, burns calories, maintain your muscles, and improve brain function and creativity.
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