A
fter a long-haulflightorabig
journey ontheroad,shakingout
that stiff feelingwhenyoufinally
get to stretch yourlegsisenoughofan
indicator that sittingforhoursonend
is not good for thebody.Yetformany
of us, we don’t thinktwiceaboutthe
significant amountoftimewespend
seated each week atwork,intrafficor
bingeing episodesofNetflixonthe
couch. Clear connectionshavebeen
found between sittingforprolonged
periods of time andavastrangeof
negative health outcomes,diseasesand
early death, to the pointthatprolonged
sitting has even beendescribedasthe
new smoking.
Is it really that bad?Howdoesthe
evidence stack up?Andforthoseofus
seated or desk-bound,howcanwetry
to negate the repercussionsofallthose
hours in a chair?
sedentary
behaviour is
linked to more
than 30 chronic
diseases and
health
conditionsA look at the facts
To set the record straight, sitting
is not the new smoking. The health
risks of smoking are substantially
greater, the economic and social
impacts are far worse, and smoking
has more potential to harm others.
However much of a relief
that news might be, it’s
still not a free pass to
sit all day long, as a
large amount of data
has consistently
demonstrated that
sedentary behaviour
is linked to more
than 30 chronic
diseases and health
conditions. One study
showed that the risk of type
2 diabetes was almost twice as
high in people sitting for more than
eight hours each day, compared with
those sitting for less than four hours.
It can lead to a major increase in
insulin resistance, obesity, a higher
risk of cancer, and an increase in
your risk of heart disease. When
observational data from more than
one million people was analysed,
the results showed that the more
inactive you are, the more likely you
are to die early.
When the body isn’t being used
for extended periods of time, it
appears that it goes through some
significant physiological changes.
For instance, scientists have
discovered that people who sit for
10 or more hours each day have
higher than normal levels of
troponins in their blood – a protein
that heart muscles release when
they’re damaged.
Given that a surge of troponins in
the blood is the symptom doctors
look for when diagnosing a heart
attack, this could explain the
connection between a sedentarylifestyle and higher risk of
cardiovascular problems.
Dr Rikke Krogh-Madsen
from the Centre of Inflammation
and Metabolism in Copenhagen
conducted a study where participants
reduced their daily steps from between
6000 and 10000 steps down to 2000.
Within a mere two weeks, they had
gained an average of seven percent
abdominal fat and had a 60 percent
increase in insulin in their blood, which
increases the risk of cancer, diabetes
and obesity.
Scientists who presented at the
American Institute for Cancer Research
even went as far as to say that tens
of thousands of cases of breast and
colon cancer might have been avoided
if people didn’t spend so much time
sitting down.Impacts on metabolism
As the saying goes, use it or lose it.
Except for the times you’re on a rowing
machine, a long stint of sitting requires
very little energy, which means minimal
calorie burn and muscle engagement.
This can result in a range of metabolic
issues such as weight gain, obesity,
higher cholesterol levels, and a risein
blood pressure and blood sugar.
In the long term, too much sitting
lends itself to a loss of lean muscle
mass, weakened bones, and in more
serious cases, osteoporosis and an
increased risk of fractures. If your seated
posture is poor, you can also end upwith
damage to your back, neck or premature
spinal degeneration.
The reduction in blood flow around
your legs can cause varicose veins,
which while aren’t particularly
dangerous, they can be painful and
lead to more serious blood clots
and deep vein thrombosis, cutting
off the blood flow to other parts of
the body. »be informed