Are you Sitting Too Long?

People spend a great portion of their lives sitting. Whether it is at work or at home, many Americans have sedentary lifestyle. All that sitting is not good for people. People try to counteract those negative influences with exercise, but, according to the spine surgeon Los Angeles, even an hour of exercise won’t counteract multiple hours of sitting around. Unfortunately, too much sitting can severely affect people’s life spans.

Your body was designed for constant movement. Even within 1 minute of standing, your body starts to reap the benefits of movement. Just by sustaining one’s own bodyweight, the body gains many benefits, including protecting against obesity and diabetes.

The body is designed to constantly be moving. When it’s not moving, the body thinks something is wrong. It prepares to shut down.

The following problems can occur from prolonged sitting:

The Heart:

• When you’re sitting, your entire metabolic system slows down. That means that there is more of a chance for fat to clog the arteries of your heart. By sitting too long, you are increasing the chance of heart problems.

The Pancreas:

• When you sit too long, your pancreas starts to mass produce insulin. This can cause diabetes. People who sit for extended periods of time are 2 times more likely to develop diabetes.

Cancer:

• Excess sitting is directly linked to different types of cancers. There are several types of cancers that can be triggered by sitting too long, including breast, lung and colon cancer.

Digestion Process:

• Sitting down affects your abdominal cavity and ultimately affects the entire process that occurs there. There are several affects, such as constipation, bloating, cramping, and the like.

Brain Damage:

• As all of your metabolic processes slow down, you are ultimately getting less oxygen to your brain. As this happens, your brain starts to lose some of its vital functions.

Back Problems:

• By continuously sitting still, you are putting major pressure on your back. All that sitting puts more and more strain on the back

Muscle Degeneration:

• Standing requires the use of muscles to support your frame. When you are sitting continuously, your body is using no muscle strength. As a result, atrophy occurs. When you don’t use your muscles, you lose them.