Our body is not made for long sitting. Man is evolutionarily adapted to movement: walking, running, lifting weights. Movement forces our muscles to work, the heart to actively pump blood, and the joints to receive the necessary load. Sitting turns the body into a stagnant system: muscles weaken, blood flow slows down, and the spine suffers from uneven stress.
If your lifestyle leads to a sedentary lifestyle, it is important to understand all the risks that this entails. In this article, we will analyze the harm of a sedentary lifestyle and how you can avoid problems and maintain your health.
Marina Alexandrovna Sviridonova, an endocrinologist at Olympus Clinics, told all about maintaining health.
The main problems of a sedentary lifestyle
Constant pain in the lower back, back and neck
A sedentary lifestyle is harmful to health for many reasons. But first of all, of course, it affects the musculoskeletal system. If you have back pain regularly after work, it may be a sign that it's time to change your habits. Sitting for 8-10 hours a day is a time bomb for the spine. The work of the back muscles becomes less effective when we spend a lot of time sitting. The muscles weaken, the spine gets an excessive load, and now the pain creeps up from the lower back to the neck.
Previously, we were constantly moving: looking for food, lifting weights. Today, all we need is a comfortable armchair and Wi-Fi. But sedentary life has its price — Degenerative-dystrophic changes of the spine, hernias, chronic pain.
Numbness and pain in the legs
Do your legs often swell when you work sedentary? It's not just discomfort — it's a signal of circulatory problems. When we do not get up from our chair for hours, the blood in our legs begins to circulate more slowly, the veins and arteries are squeezed, and eventually stagnation occurs. And if you also cross your legs, there are swelling and heaviness in your legs. But that's half the trouble. Sitting for a long time can lead to more serious problems, such as varicose veins or even thrombosis.
Decreased metabolism
Spending the whole day in an armchair, a person often begins to gain weight, even if he has not changed his eating habits. But the point here is not in calories, but in the fact that the process of slowing down metabolism has begun. When we move a little, the muscles atrophy, and the body begins to require less energy to provide them. Because of this, the previous diet becomes excessive, and the body begins to store calories in the form of fat. This is a direct path to metabolic syndrome, a condition where the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes increases. Therefore, the problem is not only overweight, but also that the body stops using glucose effectively.
Prostate diseases in men
Sedentary work is not only back pain and cramped legs. Men, beware: a sedentary lifestyle can also create problems for prostate health. Sitting for a long time causes stagnation of blood in the pelvic area, and this is a direct path to inflammation of the prostate gland — prostatitis. This insidious enemy can begin with mild discomfort and frequent trips to the toilet, and end with chronic pain and disorders in intimate life.
Other potential problems
Hemorrhoids. Sitting for a long time leads to stagnation and increased pressure in the hemorrhoidal plexuses, which can cause hemorrhoids.
Back pain. If you sit in the wrong position for a long time, this can lead to overstrain of individual muscle groups in various parts of the spine (depending on the posture), which will lead to pain syndrome. If intervertebral hernias are present in parallel, this can provoke an effect on the spinal roots, which may cause sudden acute back pain.
Decreased immunity. Without regular movement, the lymphatic system runs idle, which means that toxins are not excreted, and the body becomes more vulnerable to infections.
Varicose veins. Immobility slows down venous outflow, veins lose their elasticity, which causes pain and swelling.
Carpal tunnel syndrome. Do you work at a computer, but do not care about the correct position of your hands? Then wait for pain, numbness and weakness in the hands — this is carpal tunnel syndrome, when the nerve in the wrist is pinched from constant tension.
Prevention of sedentary work: how to maintain health?
Sedentary work and a sedentary lifestyle are not a verdict on health. There are many ways to keep your body in shape. Here are some recommendations:
1. Microactivity:
Get up every 30 minutes and move for at least a couple of minutes. Walk around the office, take a few steps on the spot, or do a light stretch to relieve tension from your muscles.
Include small exercises in your daily routine: climb the stairs, walk around the office, periodically do a few sit-ups or push-ups.
2. Office exercises:
Perform circular movements with your shoulders, head tilts, leg lifts under the table — this helps to avoid stagnation of blood and strengthens muscles.
Use standing tables, alternating between sitting and standing, to distribute the load on the spine and reduce the pressure on the legs.
Hold meetings standing up or while walking. This will help to maintain activity and improve blood circulation, while stimulating brain activity.
Remember that even small changes can lead to significant improvements in your well-being and health. Your task is to find the ways that are right for you and make them a part of your daily life.
If you experience constant or increasing pain in your back, neck, legs, numbness or tingling that does not go away after rest, this is an excuse to contact a specialist at Olympus Clinics. The doctor will conduct an examination, may prescribe additional studies (MRI, X-ray) and suggest a treatment plan that will be most effective in your situation. Your health is in your hands, and the sooner you start acting, the better the results will be.