The human population is more sedentary than ever before – and, as it turns out, all that sitting around adds up. Join Ben to learn more.
10 Ways Sitting Wrecks Your Body:
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*How much time do you spend sitting? In recent years it’s estimated that we spend nearly eight hours on average just sitting – and maybe as much as 15 hours. Excessive sitting, more than two hours a day, is referred to as 'sitting disease' among health professionals, and is associated with some major -- and perhaps surprising -- health problems, as well as an overall shorter life expectancy.
*First, it’s ruining your posture.
If you’re sitting too much, you may also be sitting the wrong way.
Sitting improperly increases the risk of an inflexible spine and herniated lumbar discs.
As well as conditions like kyphosis and lordosis. Or a rounded/ hunched upper back and a swayback.
So what is good posture, then?
Good posture means your body is well-aligned, and well-aligned means your weight is evenly distributed, your shoulders are aligned over your hips, hips over knees.
Opposite of slumping over a desk.
* Atrophy
When you sit more than you exercise, you are training your body to acclimated to sitting
It’s called disuse atrophy. Muscles lose flexibility, bulk and bass, and store fat rather than converting it to energy.
It can weaken your bones, as well. If they’re not use to support your weight the can also lose density, becoming brittle and weak. Standing up can help prevent osteoporosis
*Slow Metabolism
In the time it takes to watch just one episode of "Game of Thrones" (about an hour of sitting), your body slows down its production of the fat-burning enzyme lipase by 90 percent.
if you don't also slow down your caloric intake and up your exercise you're going to gain weight.
You’ll lose cholesterol, but it will be the good kind, HDL, which keeps that nasty LDL in check.
Your body will also manage insulin less efficiently, steering you toward diabetes.
* It’s Ruining Your Mind
It's not just your body that's taking the brunt of the damage from all that sitting.
When the body isn't working efficiently to circulate blood, oxygen and important hormones and chemicals as it should, your mind goes dull, and your mood and self-esteem take a nosedive.
In 20121 the CDC found that employees who were able to stand while working reported they were in better moods and had higher self-esteem than when they sat all day.
Eighty-seven percent reported feeling more energized and 71 percent reported they felt more focused
*Every Hour of Sitting Increases You Odds of a Disability
As we age, sitting can actually become dangerous.
A 2013 study in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health found that adults over age 60 average about 9 hours of sitting each day.
Study also found that every additional hour spent sitting increased the chances of what’s called an activities of daily living disability
Daily living here indicates the trivial tasks of the average human day – dressing, eating, cleaning, etc.
So how much higher are your chances of not being able to do this basic stuff for each extra hour you spend sitting? FIFTY PERCENT.
*Outro
Hey, this news can be a bummer. Don’t take it sitting down – literally! See what I did there? So stand up! Take a walk around the neighborhood, the street, the house. A few short daily strolls could make years of difference. Thanks for watching – if you’d like to learn more, check out our article “10 Ways Sitting Wrecks Your Body” on HowStuffWorks.com, and stay tuned for more What The Stuff.
