Sitting for Long Hours Has Side Effects Can Kill You: Report

As per the new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, sitting for long hours without a break in the office increases the risk of death by 30%.

While sedentary lifestyle is already associated with an increase in the risk of death and people who spend the majority of their time sitting in the office for work can face various health disorders in their lives.

What Happens When You Sit in a Chair for a Long Time?

When you sit for long hours in the office or any other place on a regular basis with the least physical activity your muscle contraction reduces which reduces the blood flow in your body and your glucose metabolism slowdowns have a negative effect on your body. 

Also Read: How to Stay Active & Healthy While Working from Home

And you can have metabolic syndrome which is a health disorder that increases your blood pressure, high blood sugar and increase in body fat, especially around the waistline with the increased cholesterol. The research shows, that low or high amounts of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity expose the level of risk if the sitting hours are too long.

8 Side Effects of Sitting for Long Hours

#1 Risk of High Blood Sugar and Obesity or Diabetes

Sitting for long hours slows down the enzyme lipoprotein lipase, which is responsible for breaking down fats in your body. When this enzyme is less active, triglycerides and blood sugar levels increase in your body resulting in weight gain and insulin resistance over time.

Hence, getting up every 30-60 minutes helps stimulate lipoprotein lipase activity and regulates blood sugar and body weight can reduce the risk of side effects from long sitting hours.

#2 Degeneration of Your Muscles

Sitting excessively in one place stops the activation and contraction of muscles which helps to break down the protein stored in muscles. And with the time being it causes muscle loss, reduced muscle mass and strength.  

But, taking regular standing or movement breaks stimulates muscles, and prevents loss of muscles. And if you take time to strength training 2-3 times a week, it helps to preserve the muscle mass.      

#3 Poor Circulations of Blood in Your Body

Sitting long hours leads to restricted blood vessels in the legs and increased blood pressure. This reduces blood flow to the heart and legs, increasing the risk of varicose veins and blood clots.

Hence, you can move and contract leg muscles that will help to pump blood back to the heart. Moderate walking also helps to aid venous blood return.

Also Read: Top 7 Best Foods That Increase Blood Circulation in Your Body

#4 Causes Back, Spine or Neck Pain 

Sitting for long hours in static postures increases the spine’s intervertebral discs, joints, ligaments and muscles causing lower back pain. The improper neck postures due to long idle sitting also lead to muscle strain and cervical pain.

However, changing the postures during the long hours of sitting and taking regular standing breaks can avoid the overuse of certain muscle groups.

#5 Increased Heart Related Diseases

As per the research, excessive sedentary time is linked to a 147% increase in cardiovascular events. Moreover, it also encourages the accumulation of fat around the blood vessels and vital organs and that is possible even in non-obese people, which leads to arterially and heart-related health issues.

But if you manage to work out or moderately do exercise of around 150 minutes per week, then you can reduce such risks and keep your heart unaffected by long sitting hours.  

#6 Weakening of Your Bones Strength

When sitting for long hours, prevents loading and weight-bearing on hip and leg bones is necessary to stimulate bone-building osteoblasts. This results the gradual bone mineral loss and risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis.

However, if you manage to perform Weight training and moderate impact cardio several times a week, it will deliver the bone loading helping you to keep your bones strong and healthy.

#7 High Fatigue & Low Energy Levels

A sedentary lifestyle or sitting in the office for long hours without too much activity also reduces cellular signals that enable sugar and fat breakdown for energy production. Sitting itself also restricts blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles.

Limited further blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles also restrict your energy capacity which makes it harder to deal with fatigue. Hence, moving on every half hour will help you to keep your energy level high with an active lifestyle.

Also Read: 5 Exercises or Workouts You Can Do at Home without Equipment

#8 Risk of Varicose Veins & Numbness

Another side effect of long sitting hours is due to such non-moving conditions, the blood circulation from the legs due to gravity slows circulation and causes blood to pool in leg veins. And due to the extra flow of blood in veins, you can feel pain or swollen varicose veins.

Hence, contracting or expanding your leg with significant movement will help you to ensure the circulation of blood to the heart. While sitting for long hours, avoid crossing your legs which can again impede blood flow making you feel numbness in your leg.