We sit in the car, while working, while eating, while we use the computer, watch TV and read … Do you ever think how it affects our health? Prolonged sitting slowly destroys the body.
If you are a person that sits six hours a day, this means that you are going to feel the effects in 10-20 years, and that you will shorten your life for seven years.
Because of the long hours of sitting the risk of fatal heart problems increases by 64 percent, while the risk of prostate cancer or breast cancer increases by 30 percent.
Prolonged sitting has a significant impact on your metabolism. This has a negative impact on blood sugar levels, triglycerides, cholesterol, blood pressure and levels of “appetite hormone” leptin, biomarkers of obesity and cardiovascular disease.
With sitting we sabotage the lymphatic system, which helps the body to suppress infections. Lymph vessels, which drain waste products, do not have a pump like the heart, they are controlled by the rhythmic contraction of the muscles in the legs. So, while you sit, the lymphatic system cannot do its job.
The study, published Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine, is based on a review and analysis of previous research.
It found that the health hazards seem to be greatest for people who sit 8 or 9 hours a day. The impact was even more pronounced in people who did not exercise regularly.
The study found sitting for prolonged periods raised the risk of cardiovascular disease by 14 percent, cancer by 13 percent, and diabetes by a whopping 91 percent.
Those who sat for long stretches and got no regular exercise had a 40 percent higher risk of early death. With regular exercise, the risk was smaller but still significant: about 10 percent.
“We know that when you sit, you increase your insulin resistance,” Dr. Michael Roizen of the Cleveland Clinic told CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook.
“What that means is you don’t take the sugar that’s in your blood and move it into your cells as well.”
Researchers say the average person spends more than half their waking hours sedentary, doing such things as working at a computer, watching TV or sitting in traffic. But Alter says there are some simple steps anyone can take to incorporate more activity into their day.
The study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, is based on a review and analysis of previous research. It found that the health hazards seem to be greatest for people who sit 8 or 9 hours a day. The impact was even more pronounced in people who did not exercise regularly.
The study found sitting for prolonged periods raised the risk of cardiovascular disease by 14 percent, cancer by 13 percent, and diabetes by a whopping 91 percent.
Those who sat for long stretches and got no regular exercise had a 40 percent higher risk of early death. With regular exercise, the risk was smaller but still significant: about 10 percent.
“We know that when you sit, you increase your insulin resistance,” Dr. Michael Roizen of the Cleveland Clinic told CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook. “What that means is you don’t take the sugar that’s in your blood and move it into your cells as well.”
Researchers say the average person spends more than half their waking hours sedentary, doing such things as working at a computer, watching TV or sitting in traffic.
But Alter says there are some simple steps anyone can take to incorporate more activity into their day.
source: cbsnews
4.5
Comments are closed.