10 Things That Happen When You Sit Down All Day Did you know that more than half of us spend over six hours sitting down each & every day, and a widening rear end isn’t the only result. Sitting can have short- & long-term effects on your health & body, making this seemingly benign activity potentially deadly. Try to avoid 'slouching' when you are 'sitting at a desk'. Read on to learn how damaging it can be to sit all day — from your head to your toes.
1. Weak Legs & 'Glutes'. If you don’t use them, you lose them! By sitting all day, you’re not depending on your powerful lower body muscles to hold you up. This leads to muscle atrophy, which is the weakening of these muscles. Without strong leg & 'glutes' muscles to stabilize you, your body is at risk of injury. My Pilates classes include 'glute exercises' to strengthen & glute stretching exercises as well. So it is a very good idea to strengthen those 'glute muscles'.
2. Weight Gain Unexplained 'weight gain' or 'rapid weight gain', or currently 'quarantine weight gain?
Moving causes your muscles to release molecules like lipoprotein lipase, which helps process the fats and sugars you eat. When you spend most of your day sitting, the release of these molecules is lessened and your rear end is at greater risk of widening, according to research. You’re also at greater risk for metabolic syndrome, even if you exercise. One study found, unsurprisingly, that men who spent more time sitting than usual, gained more weight around the middle, which is the most dangerous place to store fat. 3. Tight Hips and a Bad Back As with your leg and glute muscles, your hips and back will suffer from sitting. Sitting causes your hip flexors to shorten, and your seated position can also hurt your back, particularly if you have bad posture or don’t use an ergonomic chair. Also, poor posture while sitting can cause compression on the discs in your spine and can lead to premature degeneration, which results in chronic pain. Share on Pinterest 4. Anxiety and Depression Lesser understood than some of the physical effects of sitting, are the mental effects. But the risk of both depression and anxiety are higher in people who sit the most. This could be because the mental health benefits of fitness are lacking when one spends their days sitting down rather than moving. If so, these risks could be mitigated with regular exercise. 5. Cancer Risk Emerging studies suggest that prolonged sitting can increase your risk of certain types of cancer, including lung, uterine, and colon cancers. The reasons for this aren’t entirely clear. 6. Heart Disease Sitting can hurt your heart, potentially leading to cardiovascular disease. One study found that men who spent more than 23 hours per week watching television had a 64 percent greater risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than men who only watched television for 11 hours. Experts say people who sit more have a 147 percent higher risk of suffering from a heart attack or stroke. 7. Diabetes Risk People who spend more time sitting also have a 112 percent increased risk of diabetes. In one study that looked at the effects of just five days of bed rest, researchers saw increased insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. 8. Varicose Veins Sitting for long periods of time can cause blood to pool in the legs. This can lead to varicose veins, or spider veins, a smaller version of the former. Though generally not harmful themselves, these swollen and visible veins can be unsightly. In rare cases, they can lead to more serious conditions, like blood clots.
9. Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Deep vein thrombosis is a type of blood clot that’s most common in the legs. When part of this clot breaks off, it can cut off the flow of blood to other parts of the body such as your lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. This is a medical emergency that can lead to major complications or even death. Sitting for too long, even on a long road trip, can cause DVT.
10. Stiff Shoulders and Neck
As with your legs, butt, lower back, your shoulders neck will also suffer from prolonged sitting. This is especially true if you’re hunched over looking at a computer screen. Sitting for long periods can also lead to 'bad lower back pain'.
Solutions to Prolonged Sitting
Sitting for long periods is unhealthy. We are designed to move, not sit. The more that researchers look into the unhealthy risks of heart disease & particular forms of cancer, more & more healthcare professionals are urging patients to get up & move instead of sitting for prolonged periods of time.
Stretching
When people sit for too long, their muscles & joints become stiff and tight. Stretching helps loosen up the joints and elongate the muscles to help the body work more efficiently.
Stretching the muscles & joints of the body also helps ward off potential injuries to the back. If the back muscles & spine are better able to support the body and work while turning or twisting, pulled muscles or slipped discs in the back are less likely.
Strengthening
Sitting in a chair for eight hours per day does not strengthen any muscles. In fact, research has shown that back muscles are weakened from prolonged sitting. When back muscles are weak, they cannot support the spine as they should.
Poor posture is the result of weakened back muscles. Poor posture leads to the vertebrae of the spine not lining up as they should and discs can erode or slip out of place. The result is nerves that are irritated or pinched, which causes pain.