Sitting is the worst thing you can do to your body

Prati nas i na društvenim mrežama!

Your chair is your worst enemy!

For most of us sitting is a daily "activity".

We sit 8 hours at work, then drive home in the car, and then sit in the chair and turn on the TV.

But according to the latest research published in the journal Medicine, Science in Sports and Exercise, sitting is the worst thing you can do to your body.

If you spend most of the day sitting - at work or in front of the TV at home - you have a greater risk of diabetes, obesity, several types of cancers, heart attacks and premature death.

Why is sitting so bad?

Our body is simply not built for sitting for so long.

Our ancestors spent their lives in a variety of activities: they worked on the land, tended the livestock, hunted wild animals and so on. They did not spend much time sitting.

With the invention of cars, computers, televisions and desks, sitting increased to a staggering 9.3 hours a day! That is more time than we sleep (on average 7.7 hours a day).

Our bodies simply can not handle that. Modern people are increasingly suffering from the effects of sitting.

The modern way of life is starting to show its side effects. It is time for us to get up!

What does sitting do to our body

Research on 17,000 men and women showed that sitting for 8 hours a day, every day, leads our body into chaos.

1. Sitting increases the risk of many types of cancer and premature death by 40%.
2. Sitting makes us fatter. The percentage of obese people is twice as high among people who have a sedentary work or watch TV all day.
3. While we sit we consume almost no energy at all. Electrical activity in our muscles is turned off. Burning calories drops to 1 calorie per minute.
4. Enzyme levels fall by 90%. Levels of good cholesterol are reduced by 20%.
5. Production of insulin is reduced by 24%, which increases the risk of diabetes.
6. Sitting brings the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, people who watch television three hours a day have a 64% higher risk of heart attack.
7. Sitting results in pain in the neck, lower back, knees and rump. Improper sitting distorts the spine.
8. Excessive working on a computer can lead to poor vision.
9. Among young people, excessive sitting increases the risk of rickets.
10. Sitting disrupts metabolism.

Is there a remedy?

For most of us, sitting the whole day is something that simply cannot be avoided. Can we do something to reduce the effects of sitting?

Some of these tips could help:

• when you get home from work, do not sit. Turn off the TV and go for a walk.
• stand up as much as you can during your working day - preferably every 15-30 minutes; also, stretch and walk around the office.
• if possible, go to work by bike or on foot; use the stairs instead of the elevator.
• sitting with your upper body at 135 degrees causes a significantly less strain on your back than sitting upright or when you lean forward.
• buy a treadmill and you will be able to watch TV while exercising!
• be creative in choosing a chair; regular office chair can be replaced by pilates ball or ergonomic chairs.

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