Res-Q | Do You Sit All Day?

Stop Sitting So Much!

Sedentary lifestyles are a recipe for health problems.

You’ve likely heard the expression, “Sitting is the new smoking.” Studies have time and again concluded a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of developing osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Here’s a snapshot of what happens when you sit too much:

Your metabolic rate plummets. You burn fewer calories when you sit, which frequently leads to weight gain over time. Exercise helps, but considering the average person with a desk job sits for at least 10 hours a day (including time for meals and commuting) and sleeps 8 hours, it’s hard to rev the metabolism with just 6 hours remaining in the day.

Your triglyceride levels go up. Triglycerides supply energy for your body. If your body doesn’t have an immediate need for energy, the triglycerides are stored as fat for a future energy reserve. Elevated triglyceride level is a risk factor for coronary artery disease.

Circulation to your legs slows. Prolonged sitting can lead to pooled blood in your lower extremities, leading to varicose veins and swollen ankles. In serious cases it can lead to blood clots deep in your leg veins, a dangerous condition called deep vein thrombosis.

Weight-bearing exercises like running and walking are needed to stimulate your hip and lower body bones to grow thicker and stronger. Some scientists say a recent surge in osteoporosis is linked to sedentary lifestyle.

You trigger your body’s inflammatory process. – Several different studies have shown that increased sitting time correlates with increased levels of C-reactive protein, a blood marker for inflammation.