Wellness

Is Prolonged Sitting Unhealthy?

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S itting is an activity that forms such a big part of our lives. However, much like anything else, too much sitting can be harmful. So, here are a few diseases to answer the question ‘is prolonged sitting unhealthy?

Obesity

Obesity is often the most frequent disease that comes from sitting for extended periods. There is a daily amount of calories that one has to burn to maintain or lose weight. Excess calories from unhealthy food can be burnt in the form of exercise. However, sitting for extended periods results in a tiny amount of calories being burned. This can lead to weight gain, and prolonged periods of this behavior can ultimately lead to obesity.

Many pieces of research at the Pubmed central have established multiple links between obesity and sitting, and have gone as far as to say that people with obesity tend to sit 2 hours longer than people whose weights fall within the normal weight range. Thus, trying to engage in regular exercise and trying to eat less processed and sugary foods will help you counteract the several negative effects of sitting too long.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

Deep vein thrombosis is a more likely disease due to sitting for long periods and can even form due to obesity. Deep vein thrombosis is a disease when a blood clot (thrombus) starts to develop in your legs due to a lot of sitting. Although the clot usually causes problems such as swelling or leg pain, the clot might dislodge and end up clotting blood vessels such as ones in the lungs in more severe cases.

So, sitting might not be worth the risk after all. Try your best not to sit still for very long and manage your weight. Smoking can increase DVT risks, too, so trying to avoid it might slim your chances of contracting the disease.

Increased levels of Cholesterol

Persistent sitting can even cause more direct health issues. Many types of research suggest that sitting too much can cause a spike in your cholesterol levels. This is because extended periods of sitting can cause an enzyme that converts LDL (Bad Cholesterol) into HDL (Good Cholesterol) to be reduced by a large portion, increasing the quantity of harmful Cholesterol in our body. This can eventually lead to many complications, which include but are not limited to coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, strokes, etc.

So, taking frequent breaks while sitting is a must for a healthier life.

Diabetes

Sitting can cause harmful changes in the body’s metabolic system. Apart from burning fewer calories in a day, you can even develop insulin (the hormone which plays a large part in burning carbs and sugar) resistance by sitting too often, leading to a condition as dangerous as type 2 diabetes.

So, try to be mindful of how much time you spend every day at your desk and reduce all these risks by exercising more, eating healthier, and taking multiple breaks from sitting.

Dementia

One more severe disease that can result from prolonged sitting is dementia. Scientists have discovered that sitting too much can cause the area of the brain controlling memory to be thinned, causing an onset of dementia.

Moreover, dementia is more likely to happen due to other diseases caused by sitting a lot, such as diabetes, heart strokes, high cholesterol, and even high blood pressure. Thus, not reducing sitting periods can lead to severe conditions.

Varicose Veins

Apart from hurting your back and even harming posture, sitting can even cause a disease known as varicose veins. Extensive periods of sitting can cause blood to pool in your legs which increases the pressure in your veins. This will cause them to swell or even bulge.

They can even cause blood vessels around these veins to be broken, a condition known as spider veins. Varicose veins, although not dangerous, can be a pain, so preventing them from happening in the first place is a good idea.

So, the answer to the question ‘is prolonged sitting unhealthy?’ is a yes. However, just simple preventative measures such as taking breaks from sitting, exercising, and consuming a healthy diet can stop the onset of many harmful diseases arising from sitting.