Sitting for long is found to be a health risk. It is equivalent to smoking as per some research studies. The reason is that those who sit for long tend to get health disorders like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, etc. Further, there are reports that those who sit more are prone to depression.
This sitting is said to be more problematic in those who do not exercise daily. Yet sitting for long is also problematic to those who exercise, But the risk is low compared to those who do not exercise.
But I believe that sitting idle is not the problem. But sitting and watching a television or computer for long is the problem.
In the previous century, when there were no developments on TV, computer, etc., our elders used to sit for long chatting, playing cards, etc. but stayed very healthy.
But due to technological development, we have access to these gadgets. And sitting before a TV or computer for long causes health issues.
The Health Hazards of Sitting for Long
When you sit down, the legs rest and all the muscles there come to a standstill without any movement.
In being so, the percolation of blood to every cell declines. Further, when we watch television or work on a computer, the brain is the only organ that is very active. The human body is circulation is such that it always tends to meet the demands of the organs. When we run, more blood flows to limbs as each cell wants more oxygen and nutrition during the work. Similarly, when we work on a computer or watch TV, the brain is highly active, so blood circulation moves towards the brain more than the legs. In doing so, less nutrition and oxygen are supplied to leg cells. This causes trouble. Other than legs, many organs are affected, including the heart, intestine, etc. So all these organs can be at risk. To keep away from these health risks and stay healthy, we need to follow these steps.
1. Breaks: While working on a computer or watching TV, take breaks for a few minutes. Stand up and walk a bit. This helps to bring a motion in muscles at regular intervals. The time period can be 45 min for working on a computer as it even avoids eye strain. For TV, whenever there is an advertisement, we can take a break.
2. Sit in the open air: Sit in places with plenty of ventilation for a long. If possible, in the garden while working on a laptop or computer. Open-air has a high amount of oxygen and can help relieve stress.
3. Drink plenty of water: Sitting more has shown to be even the cause of acidity. Having sufficient water avoids this. Besides, higher water content enables blood supply to percolate well.
4. Exercise daily: If you are in such jobs where you sit a lot, exercise daily. At-least goes for a walk once in a day or two where possible. This helps in the proper circulation of limbs and the whole body and keeps you fit. Sitting for long is a type of stress. And any exercise like jogging, gym, yoga helps relieve the stress.
A study showed that 2 hours of walking is essential to counter the negative effects of sitting at work for 8 hours.
5. Meditate and relax: Another way to relieve the stress of sitting for long is to meditate. This supplies enough oxygen to all the tissues. Besides, it also relaxes the hyperactive mind.
6. Stand while working: Try to use a standing posture at work. Even standing tables are available for the purpose. This helps to keep legs in some activity while we work on a system.
All these are simple measures to follow. Those who have are health-conscious should no longer neglect the dangers of sitting for long.