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Why Too Much Sitting Is Bad For You
Health | June 10, 2014
Sitting has become an essential part of our routine for relaxing and getting comfortable whether at work or at home. Many people spend the majority of their day sitting down in some form or another. Desk jobs, our daily commutes and our standard way to veg out in front of the television require us to remain sitting. It’s hard to imagine that too much of sitting can have such a negative impact on our health. Unfortunately, it can and dangerously so. A recent Australian study published in the Journal of The American Medical Association (JAMA) provides some startling results regarding just how bad prolonged sitting is for our health and wellbeing.
The startling study showed that individuals who sat for, on average, eleven hours or more during the day had a 40% increase of dying in the next three years as opposed to individuals who sat for less than four hours a day. According to the head of the study, Dr. van der Ploeg, one of the main reasons why too much sitting has such a terrible affect on our health is that it drastically affects our metabolism over time. That, in turn, affects our circulation and cardiovascular health, greatly increasing our chances of heart disease.
Another important finding in the study is that diet and exercise do not fully counter the affects of too much sitting. The study made sure to monitor physically active people as well. Still, inactive people are twice as likely to suffer from the adverse affects of sitting than people who consistently exercised.
Now we have yet another reason to not be lazy and to stay focused at the Zgym. While vegging out is nice every once in while, too much of it is actually dangerous! If your job requires you sit down a lot, try to break up your day by standing up when on the phone or speaking with a coworker. Also try getting up and stretching for five to ten minutes every couple of hours. If you work from home or if your office allows it, consider using desks that allow you to work while standing up.
Private Member |
Ain’t that the truth! I’m a student nurse, and myself and my classmates sit for hours at a time doing homework, writing papers, and studying. I’ve gained 25 pounds despite my efforts of working out and eating right. Sitting for hours at a time is the worst! Summer is here thank goodness, so no more sitting for me! Going to do a z-workout now 🙂
Private Member |
It costs about $22 to purchase a few new items from Ikea to make your sitting desk into a standing one. You can even find many avalibale things to improvise a stand up desk for yourself, wherever you are! Using a bar stool (about $20) allows you to sit periodically when you are tired of standing. I made a Facebook page to put together some ideas to help people break free from sitting all day. Hope you can find something helpful on it! Cheers xo https://www.facebook.com/#!/Standinistas
Private Member |
I used to wish I had a desk job but they might be the one reason is maintained the same weight for years with poor diet. At most I sit for only 3-4 hours a day lol.
Private Member |
Sitting down too much, this is the disease of our days indeed. I can also see people perfectly fit to take the bus for 2 stops only. The kind of jobs we do require hours in front of a PC either in an office or at home. Where I used to work before you were only allowed 30 minutes(unpaid)lunch break away from your desk, and many of my colleagues didn’t even take that. I left that job and I am planning not to get back to anything like that never ever for the rest of my life, but a lot of people cannot afford to make the same choice. On the other hand a lot of people shields behind the excuse of work for not being active at all. I think it is a matter of self awareness, and taking care of oneself. But also is the kind of education we have received as children. Nowadays kids do veg in front of TV and video games. When I was a child I was always encouraged by my parents to play outside, do some activity and definitely there were rules as per how many hours I would spent in front of the TV. I think this is the kind of thing modern parents should look at when educating their kids.
Private Member |
I agree with you Alessia. It depends on parents who want their children to see fit. I think they should be active to give their children a good example. So, they should organise any sports activities together with their children.
Private Member |
I work in an office all day, and I have chronic pain (tension in the arms, shoulders, back, neck, wrist tendonitis because the mouse and elbow tendinitis) for 3 years now, since my place is not ergonomic for me. My office is too low 5 cm and my chair was not appropriate.
I live in Switzerland and with our employer, the steps to unlock the budget for office equipment are long and complicated.
I brought in an ergonomics specialist to fix the situation and I’m finally waiting for a suitable new office (adjustable to my height). I had a medical certificate from my doctor to allow me they purchase.
I have pain all the time everywhere, and I stopped the Zgym sessions for a while, because I could not stand. But the pain was stronger without my exercises every day, so I picked up the workouts!
I also try to get up as much as possible from my place of work, I stretch during the day. But this is very tiring daily …and I’m only 29 years old with no weight or health issues.
Private Member |
I had been sat many hours everyday for years and my butt became really flabby. Now i workout every day and still sitting a lot, but my butt is going into shape. I have a lot of work to do to tight my body, but i can tell everybody that sitting a lot without workout is really dangerous!
Private Member |
I’m not entirely sure how to solve this problem. I’m a truck driver, so my job requires me to sit for long hours. Even exercising at least an hour 5-6 nights a week, I’m not burning much fat (though I am gaining muscle.)
Even eating better, I’ve been sitting (pun intended) at 205 lbs for over 3 months. Not giving up, just frustrating.
Any tips would be great. Keep in mind, stopping often doesn’t necessarily work since I do have schedules and stupid laws that basically mandate I keep going.