sittingJust recently I was writing about the main health risks related to office job. Those were mainly the risks of having cardiovascular problems, the risks related to becoming overweight, increased risks of colon cancer and low back pains. Mainly, all those dangers are linked to prolonged sitting at the desk in front of our computers which is a defining factor of almost all types of office jobs. These days, the findings of a Canadian study were published to let us know that prolonged sitting is linked to a vast number of other risks and affects the entire body of ours.

The experts from Medical Billing and Coding say that too much sitting on an everyday basis is simply killing us. Now, with the development of modern industry of entertainment, the average time we spend sitting is 9.3 hours a day, which is actually more than we sleep (average time of sleeping slightly exceeds 7.5 hours a day). prolonged sittingAccording to the specialists, sitting for more than 6 hours a day increases our risks of premature death for up to 40%, and those who spend more than 6 hours a day sitting are most likely to die 15 years earlier than those who sit only less than 3 hours a day.

According to the infographic published recently by many sites and online editions, prolonged sitting causes shutting down electrical activity in our leg muscles, slows down all main chemical processes in our body for almost 90%, makes our HDL “good” cholesterol level in blood drop down for about 20%, as well as decreases insulin effectiveness this way rising our risks for developing diabetes. Prolonged sitting also substantially slows down calorie burning which leads to being overweight and obese. The Canadian scientists attribute high rates of obesity and lethal effects of this disease not to unhealthy eating habits, but to endless hours of sitting at the desks or in front of our TVs.

The graphic is really impressive and it can help many of us to review their daily routine. It is obvious that most of us can hardly do anything about changing the requirements of their jobs which mainly involve sitting at the desk all day long. Unfortunately, the suggested strategy directed on making regular interruptions of prolonged sitting, walking around, stretching or jumping will hardly help for many office workers, and can be even considered lunacy. That is why the scientists call for joining our efforts and finding a fast and effective solution for this terrible problem. “We have to stand up for our right to stand up,” the experts say.

How many hours a day do you spend sitting?

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Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.


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