How Exactly Does Sedentarism Affect Your Health?

healthLuke Mitchell – Although the fast food industry is constantly growing, there is a rising interest in its alternatives. People nowadays are becoming more and more aware of their own well-being. For this reason, healthy living is on the rise. The concept has to do with many aspects of daily existence, from nutrition to hobbies and beyond.

The Negative Effects

Modern living trends all support the importance of being as physically active as possible. And modern diet programs today all emphasize the importance of maintaining a regular and varied exercise routine so that a healthier lifestyle is achieved. Most of this is resumed at DefendYourHealthcare.Us where they advise both on personalized workouts and diets. One size does not fit all! Unfortunately, even with all this increase in awareness on the topic of better health, many people are still sedentary.

In fact, studies show that most adults tend to spend 70% of their time on a chair or some other seating arrangement. Due to this, sedentarism has become a novel health risk for the world we live in.

And not only is it a hazard for our well-being, but it has also been identified as a new causing factor of mortality among the human population of our planet. There are many complications that lead up to this, and they are both mental and physical. Here are the three most common problems it causes and how to fix them.

Blood Sugar Spike

According to research conducted at the University of Florida, a sedentary lifestyle causes your blood sugar to spike after a hefty meal even when you’re at a normal weight. In fact, it leads to levels as high as 5.7 percent, which is enough to classify as prediabetes. This happens in the case of people who have a higher fat to muscle ratio.

Known as the ‘skinny fat’ condition, this leads to other complications, such as high cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as other problems. There is a simple solution for the situation, and it consists of a daily workout routine of at least fifteen minutes, preferably thirty. If diabetes runs in your family, there is even more reason for you to start right now.

Deteriorated Mood

A study conducted in Australia on 3,300 government employees has shown that those who sat down on the job for 6 or more hours had a 90% higher chance of experiencing psychological distress than those who were sedentary for less than 3 hours daily. The experience of the former group included feelings of restlessness, fatigue and even hopelessness.

And the bad news doesn’t end here. Sedentary pastimes such as playing video games or watching TV increase the risk of developing anxiety, according to several recent reviews published by BMC Public Health. Therefore, it’s becoming clearer than ever that prolonged inactivity destroys your mood.

Due to this, it’s not surprising that regular exercise is the antidote. Not only does doing this engage your brain, but it also releases endorphins, which promote happiness and overall well-being. Light cardio is the best method, but depending on what your inclinations are, you can take up a full-blown sport if you really want to.

Risk of Back Pain

It’s no secret that combining office work and hobbies that aren’t physically demanding is a recipe for disaster as far as your spine health is concerned. Sitting down for four straight hours every day puts pressure on your lower back, which leads to aggravated discomfort and back pain in the long run.

Fortunately, it isn’t hard to avoid this. First of all, make sure to take a 5-minute break to stretch and unwind for every hour you spend sitting at your desk, as well as longer 10-minute ones every 3 hours or so. Furthermore, remember to switch up your position every 15 minutes to stimulate your muscles.

As for exercise, 25 minutes of cardio daily are recommended as soon as the first signs of lumbar pain appear. And if you’re interested in taking up a sport to help with this condition, an aerobic-style one such as swimming or running is the best choice. The important thing is to start doing something about it right now.

Final Thoughts

There is plenty of research that backs up the drawbacks of sedentarism, with only some of it having been cited above. The bottom line is that everyone who voluntarily or unknowingly leads this lifestyle should consider taking up regular exercise as a solution. As little as 15 to 25 minutes daily works wonders for your health.

Shift Frequency © 2018Educational material

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