Can Sitting Too Long Kill You?

Could our jobs be killing us? Every year more and more people are sitting for 6 to 8 hours a day. In the years before computers were as necessary as they are now, most people had more balanced lives. They may have sat down, but they also moved around. Those of us who spend several hours a day sitting down could be much more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than someone who is less sedentary in their lives.

Those of us who do spend much of their waking hours sitting, whether we are working or relaxing while we are sitting, should work in at least 20 to 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day. Over the weeks and months this daily exercise will help to keep the body healthy. Without a couple of hours of exercise a week, we are really putting ourselves at risk for cardiovascular diseases.

Sitting for long periods of time puts us at more risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The leg muscles become less responsive to nerve impulses. We are susceptible to DVT because sitting slows down the flow of blood through the blood vessels in the thighs and legs, which puts us more at risk for blood clots to form. Once blood clots form in the legs, it is quite possible for one or more of them to break loose into circulation. The most likely place for a blood clot to get stuck is in the lung, which can be life threatening.

Sitting for long periods increases your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. You are more likely to become insulin resistant when you sit for long periods each day. The time you spend sitting down is cumulative. For instance, if you work for 6 to 8 hours a day, and then come home and sit on the couch and watch TV for 3 hours and then go to bed, you have spent nearly half your day sitting. Of course, the risk of Type 2 Diabetes also puts you at risk for weight gain; weight gain and this type of diabetes tend to go hand in hand.

Those of us, who work while sitting, can't just decide to stop. If I stopped sitting at my computer desk, I wouldn't earn any income at all. I try to get up every hour or two to get up and stretch my legs and back. I might just go get a cup of coffee or make a snack, but I make sure to get up to get the blood moving in my legs. Our bodies are not designed to be sedentary. Sitting for long periods puts strain on the shoulders and back. Our skeletons are not designed to carry the weight of an extra person on our bodies. Obesity will take its toll on us if we let it.

Even our cholesterol levels can be changed by sitting for too long. We should have a balance between HDL and LDL. Our good cholesterol (HDL) can drop by 20 percent in people who live sedentary lifestyles. This imbalance can put us at higher risk for a major cardiovascular event. By changing our lifestyles we can reduce our risk of dying from inactivity. Those who sit for long hours each day are 54 percent more likely to develop heart problems than people who are more don't sit all day. We may not be able to change our jobs, but we can make it a practice to get some intentional exercise each day to reduce our risks of dying from inactivity.

Sources:

Brainz.org

NYdailynews.com