Are the hazards of sitting for a long time so serious?

Everyone knows that sitting for a long time is bad for you, but there is still no clear concept of how harmful it is.

The University of Queensland in Australia gave the corresponding quantitative figures: the harm of sitting for 1 hour ≈ smoking 2 cigarettes ≈ reducing life expectancy by 22 minutes.

And "reduced life span" is just the tip of the iceberg of harm:

The American Cancer Society once published a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology showing that long-term sitting can easily increase the risk of 14 fatal diseases!

Sitting for a long time may only feel comfortable for a moment, but it will harm your whole body.

This study collected big data from nearly 128,000 people in the American Cancer Society's Health Prevention Study and followed them up for 21 years, revealing that long-term sitting can easily increase the fatal risk of the following 14 diseases:

Cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, suicide, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung disease, liver disease, peptic ulcer and other digestive diseases, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, neurological disorders, musculoskeletal disorders

Here are some typical diseases as examples:

Increased risk of cancer

Long-term sitting and inactivity weaken and slow down intestinal motility, causing harmful components in feces, including carcinogens, to remain in the colon and irritate the intestinal mucosa;

In addition, people who sit for long periods of time have poor blood circulation in the abdomen, pelvis, and lumbar region, which can lead to a decrease in the intestinal immune barrier function, thereby increasing the risk of colorectal cancer.

Additionally, women who sit for long periods of time have an increased risk of breast and endometrial cancer.

Increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

People who sit for long periods of time and do not move much will have slower blood circulation, higher blood viscosity, and weaker myocardial contractions. Over time, arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction, etc. will follow. A study published in the journal Circulation showed that for every extra hour of sitting, the risk of cardiovascular disease increases by 12% and the risk of heart attack increases by 26%.

A study released by the American Heart Association also pointed out that people under the age of 60 who sit for 8 hours a day without exercise have a stroke risk 7 times higher than those who exercise for at least 10 minutes a day and do not sit for long!

Increased risk of suicide

Sitting for a long time may seem to have no direct relationship with suicide, but it does affect people's mood. This change is subtle but terrifying.

Data from a prospective cohort study published in The Lancet Psychiatry in 2020 suggested that long periods of sitting and lack of exercise in adolescents increase their risk of depression.

Sitting for a long time can also affect men's virility

Many male diseases may be caused by "sitting". Sitting for a long time will affect blood circulation, cause pelvic congestion, and cause continuous congestion of the prostate, which can easily induce prostatitis, causing pain in the perineum, bifurcated urine, and incomplete urination.

At the same time, the slower blood circulation will cause the temperature of the triangle area to rise, which may damage the testicles. We all know that the reason why the testicles are "hanging" outside the body is because they need a lower temperature to produce sperm. If the temperature is too high for a long time, there may be less sperm and weak sperm, which will reduce the success rate of fertility.

Sitting for a long time makes people uglier

A foreign scientist used the office behavior data of 3,000 office workers as a sample, and conducted a detailed analysis and simulation of what sedentary office workers will look like in 20 years.

Image source network

If you continue to sit like this, in 20 years you may have: red and swollen eyes, sallow skin, hunched back, swollen legs, varicose veins... Uh~ Imagine, your image may not be very beautiful~

Sitting for a long time has so many harmful effects, so how long is considered sitting for a long time?

First of all, we need to know that sitting for a long time does not only refer to the state of sitting, it also includes lying down, reclining, slumped and other behavioral states.

According to the "Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior" issued by the World Health Organization in 2020: Sedentary behavior refers to low-energy consumption behavior of sitting, reclining or lying for a long time while awake.

Therefore, apart from work and study, lying down to watch TV, sitting on the computer, driving, playing games, etc. are all considered sedentary behaviors.

Then let's talk about how long "long" means. There are many different opinions and no unified standard.

But taking all factors into consideration, sitting for 2 hours straight or 6 hours a day can be considered as long-term sitting. For office workers like us who sit at least 5 days a week, we are undoubtedly sedentary. (I, the editor who wrote this article, have not moved for 3 hours at this time~)

For us, sitting for a long time is inevitable, so I, the editor, would like to share the secret to reduce the harm - sit well + sit less.

Sit tight

🔹Maintain a correct sitting posture, with your upper body upright, shoulder blades lowered, do not shrug your shoulders or bend your waist, and avoid lowering your head for a long time.

🔹Change bad sitting postures such as crossing your legs and sitting like Ge You.

🔹Choose a chair of appropriate height, place your feet flat on the ground, and keep your thighs parallel to the ground.

Sit less

🔹After working for a while, you can do some stretching exercises, such as standing on tiptoe and lifting your legs, to improve blood circulation in the lower limbs.

🔹For those who have difficulty in moving, such as drivers, they can lift their buttocks and twist their hips to promote blood circulation while ensuring safety.

Sitting for a long time is harmful to your health, but it is often overlooked. After reading this article, you should start from now and take it seriously!

Source: Youlai Healthy Life