×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Stay up & about

Sitting is good, but not if you are sitting all day long, warns Charu Ahuja
Last Updated 26 December 2020, 19:15 IST

When you have a 9-5 job, you are prone to sitting for long hours and most of us are unaware of the impacts the day-long sitting does to our fitness. When we sit, we use less energy as compared to when we stand and move. In short, the less you sit during the day, the better your health will be as sitting is indeed the new cancer.

Increases risks of chronic health problems: Chronic health problems include diabetes, heart diseases, and cancer. Research has shown that if you spend the whole day sitting, you have a higher risk of diabetes. Another study has found that if you spend more than 23 hours of your week watching TV, you are at a 64% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

It is advisable to be active and go for a walk if you have spent more than an hour sitting. You should also drink at least five glasses of purified water every day to lower your risk of heart disease.

Increases body weight: It is one of the common problems nowadays, especially when your muscles are not moving much. Also, it impacts the digestive system as a result, when you eat, you retain the fats and sugar as fat in your body. Even if you exercise but spend a large amount of time sitting, it will automatically undo all the
progress you have made through exercises. So again, it is advisable to take a break and move around for 5 to 10 minutes.

Leads to bad posture: Back pain is common if you spend all day long sitting, especially if you don’t sit erect. Along with that, it also leads to round shoulder problems and stiffness in your neck. Try to maintain a correct sitting posture with your shoulders pushed back.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 26 December 2020, 18:45 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT