Why is Sitting So Bad for Your Health?

Many people spend long hours at work sitting at their desks, with very few breaks to get up and walk around. To make matters worse, many of these same people come home, turn on the TV, and spend much of their evening sitting on the couch. It’s easy to dismiss this as “normal adult life,” but there’s significant evidence that a sedentary lifestyle can be dangerous to your health—and may even shorten your lifespan.

How Does Sitting for Prolonged Periods Affect Your Body?

Although sitting is something we all do daily without any thought, our bodies are designed to stand upright. Many of our important body systems work most efficiently when we stand, including the cardiovascular system and digestive system. Bowel issues, for example, are particularly common for people who have been bedridden for long periods in the hospital.

Here are some other ways sedentary behavior can impact your health:

  • Weakened or wasted leg and gluteal muscles. As your leg and gluteal muscles become weaker, you’re more likely to suffer from strains during exercise or become injured from a fall.
  • Metabolic syndrome. Even if you exercise regularly, excessive sitting can lead to metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that occur together, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides. Together, these conditions increase your risk of stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
  • Weight gain. Sitting doesn’t burn very many calories; the fewer calories you’re burning each day, the more likely it is that you’ll gain weight. This is especially true if you spend a lot of time sitting while eating high-calorie processed snacks. In addition, inefficient digestion makes you more likely to retain fats and sugars as fat in your body.
  • Hip, back, and spine issues. Sitting for long periods causes the hip flexor muscle to shorten, which can cause problems with your hip joints. Back problems are also very common, especially for those who have a poor posture while sitting or bad ergonomics. Over time, poor posture can lead to premature spine degeneration or compressed discs.
  • Anxiety and depression. Although the link between sitting and mental health isn’t fully understood, there’s evidence that people who sit for long periods are more at risk for anxiety and depression.
  • Cancer. Research has increasingly shown a correlation between a sedentary lifestyle and the risk of developing certain types of cancer, such as lung, uterine, colon, and breast cancer.
  • Heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. Some health experts have suggested that sedentary people have as much as a 147% higher risk of developing heart disease, as well as suffering a heart attack or stroke. One study discovered men who watch more than 23 hours of TV weekly have a 64% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than men who watch 11 hours of TV each week.
  • Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Prolonged sitting or lying for just five days has been shown to cause increased insulin resistance; over time, this chronic insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes.
  • Varicose and spider veins. Sitting for long periods can cause the blood to pool in your legs, which can lead to varicose veins and spider veins. Although these usually aren’t dangerous, they can be painful; in rare cases, they can lead to blood clots.
  • Deep vein thrombosis. Sitting for long periods can cause deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is when a blood clot forms in the veins in your leg. This can become life-threatening if the blood clot travels to other parts of the body through the circulatory system, as the clot can cut off blood flow to organs, including the lungs (known as a pulmonary embolism).
  • Stiff, painful neck and shoulders. Sitting hunched at your computer for hours requires prolonged muscular effort to support your upper body. This can cause a stiff, painful neck and shoulders, especially with poor ergonomics or posture.
  • Cognitive decline and dementia. In one study, researchers found that prolonged sitting was a significant predictor of thinning of the medial temporal lobes, which is a precursor to cognitive decline and dementia in middle-aged and older adults. The study suggested that a person who sits an average of 15 hours a day would have a medial temporal lobe that’s 10% thinner than someone the same age who sits for 10 hours daily.
  • Osteoporosis and reduced mobility. Inactivity causes more rapid bone loss in older adults and increases the chance of developing osteoporosis (weakened bones); this can severely limit mobility and the ability to do everyday tasks like taking a bath or using the toilet.
  • A shorter lifespan. A recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that older women who sit for prolonged periods have a higher risk of an early death. The more hours spent sitting, the greater the chances of dying from all causes, including cancer and heart disease.

What Can You Do to Prevent the Dangers of Inactivity?

An analysis of 13 studies focused on the length of time people sit and their activity levels found that those who sat for more than eight hours a day with no physical activity had similar mortality risks as those who are obese or smoke. However, the analysis also found that 60-75 minutes of moderately intense exercise a day could counter the effects of prolonged periods of sitting.

A sedentary lifestyle poses many health threats, but if you don’t get enough activity each day, it’s not too late to make some lifestyle changes that will improve your overall health and wellbeing. One of the best ways to counteract the health risks of sitting is to increase your activity level each day. Some good ways to do this include:

  • Walk or cycle to work
  • Use the stairs whenever possible, rather than taking an elevator or escalator
  • If you use public transportation, like a bus or train, get off one or two stops early and walk the rest of the way.
  • Park your car further away in store parking lots
  • Take up active hobbies, like yoga, gardening, hiking, or rock climbing
  • Go for a walk after coming home from work instead of turning on the TV
  • Walk around when you’re on the phone
  • Do some housework while watching TV, instead of sitting on the couch
  • When tidying the house, put items away in small trips, rather than carrying them all together
  • Instead of sitting down to read, listen to recorded books while you’re exercising, gardening, or doing housework
  • Take your dog on longer walks
  • Join an exercise group

Although there may not be much you can do to disconnect from your computer at work, you can probably move around more than you might think:

  • Walk over to your colleagues, rather than emailing them
  • Take breaks away from your desk and enjoy a short walk outside
  • Suggest walking meetings
  • Use a standing desk
  • Take advantage of onsite gym privileges
  • Stand up for a few minutes every hour
  • Replace your work chair with an exercise ball
  • Stand while reading reports or emails
  • Move your garbage can away from your desk so you need to stand up to throw things away

Finding ways, no matter how small, to increase activity in your day will have a positive impact on your health. Although some of these activities may not be rigorous, they’re still better for your body than remaining sedentary for prolonged periods.

Get Your Health Back on Track

If you have a desk job or enjoy binge-watching shows on Netflix, you know how easy it is to stay seated for hours at a time. However, the impact of physical activity—even if it’s leisurely—can profoundly improve your health. You may even find that adding in more activity during your day leads to improved energy levels and weight loss. Physical activity is also important because it helps you maintain muscle tone, mobility, and mental well-being, especially as you age.

When it comes to sitting, being aware of your daily habits and making lifestyle changes are key. Whether you struggle with your weight or you have a chronic condition caused by inactivity, Dr. Jennifer Hubert can help you make the changes you need to get your health back on track. As an internal medicine doctor, Dr. Hubert has helped hundreds of patients regain their health using proven strategies, like medical monitoring, behavior modification, and nutritional counseling. Schedule a consultation today by calling (707) 575-THIN (8446).