Modern lifestyle brings modern-day health issues, and sitting for longer periods definitely fits this definition. Many people are unaware of how dangerous sitting for hours can be, which is why we will go through the list of the most common health issues people experience.
Gaining weight
One of the first things that people who spend most of their workday sitting experience is gaining weight. It’s because, for the majority of the time, they are not physically active, and even when they finish work, they are not that into exercising. Of course, this can be easily dealt with, as with proper diet and working out, this doesn’t have to be a problem. Another issue with sitting all day is metabolic syndrome, which is why people should listen to experts who state that spending 60-75 minutes per day for moderate-intensity activity should be a must.
Leg problems
Solely standing in one position for longer periods can cause so many problems, and sitting is even worse. One of the most common health issues people who sit for longer periods face is pain in their legs. Namely, muscles in this area with time get weaker, and since their role is to provide support to our body and posture, pain and even numbness in certain areas is something people usually have problems with. Of course, walking, running, and regularly exercising are just some of the ways you can reduce damage caused by sitting for longer periods.
Problems with your back and hip
The way we stand and walk is determined by our posture, and one of the signs that some person have a problem can be noticed by looking at how their body moves while they walk. Once again, sitting for longer than we should is the no. 1 reason for such irregular movements and for experiencing pain in our hips and back. Namely, our hips and back provide support to our body, and it’s important to understand that sitting can cause hip flexor muscles to shorten. Experiencing pain in the hip or lower back is an indicator of this problem. Once again, working out is a solution, but ergonomically designed chairs or standing desks can also be a great way to avoid these health problems.
Heart problems
Many studies have shown that people who sit for longer periods have a higher risk percent of dying from cardiovascular disease. There are several reasons why this is the case, and gaining weight is just one of them. Another reason is not being physically active, meaning our heart gets a bit lazy, as well. Another health issue is diabetes, as studies have also shown that sitting and even laying for longer periods leads to increased insulin resistance.
Thrombosis
Sitting is not something our body is made for, and problems with veins are also common in people who sit for 8-plus hours a day. There are treatments for problems with veins, but if you neglect this problem, it can lead to deep vein thrombosis, a very serious health problem. Deep vein thrombosis is a problem when a part of a blood clot in the leg vein breaks off. Once this happens, the blood clot travels through veins and can cause severe health problems like cutting off the blood flow to other parts of the body.
