- What happens in the body
- 1. Weakening of the muscles
- 2. Decreased metabolism
- 3. Higher risk of cardiovascular disease
- 4. Increase in bad cholesterol
- 5. Risk of developing diabetes
- How to combat these risks
Sitting is one of the best ways to rest and relax, however, many people spend a large part of the day in this position, especially during work hours or at home watching television.
The human body is designed to move around frequently, so spending more than 6 hours a day sitting can be detrimental to your health over time.
Some of the most common problems include ease of weight gain, diabetes and even cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure or heart failure.
What happens in the body
Some of the changes that appear in the body when sitting for more than 6 hours a day include:
1. Weakening of the muscles
Right from the first moment you are seated, the electrical activity in the muscles decreases markedly, as the body enters a mode of relaxation in which the muscles are being underused.
This decrease in activity, in addition to making the muscles weaker, hinders blood circulation to the brain, decreasing the amount of health hormones that reach the brain cells, contributing to cases of severe tiredness, sadness and depression.
2. Decreased metabolism
Once the muscles are being underused, the metabolism slows down, burning only 1 calorie per minute. This increases the ease of gaining weight, especially when sitting and eating.
Also with reduced metabolism, there is a decrease in bowel movements, resulting in constipation and excessive gas production.
3. Higher risk of cardiovascular disease
When sitting for more than 3 hours the arteries are no longer dilated and, therefore, the blood has more difficulty to circulate throughout the body. Due to this effect, the heart needs to exert more force to pump blood and, therefore, over time, cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure or heart failure, for example, may arise.
4. Increase in bad cholesterol
Lack of exercise reduces the production of lipase, an enzyme capable of eliminating excess bad cholesterol from the blood, as well as other fat cells. Thus, the amount of cholesterol increases and the risk of heart attack or stroke also.
Due to the increase in fat cells, weight gain is also common, which can lead to obesity.
5. Risk of developing diabetes
People who sit for a long time experience a decrease in the ability of insulin to collect glucose, so the risk of developing diabetes is much higher.
How to combat these risks
To avoid all this damage, it is advisable for people who work long hours to sit up several times a day, preferably every hour, to stimulate blood circulation and do some muscle stretching exercise. See some exercises to do at work and improve your quality of life.
In addition, a good tip for those who work in offices and spend more than 3 hours sitting is to go to drink water or go to the bathroom every 2 hours, to stimulate blood circulation. Other good tips are to change the elevator by the stairs, eat healthy meals and leave the work environment at lunchtime, taking advantage of this period to "disconnect" from work, also having some leisure time, which also improves productivity.
