Is sitting similar to smoking? Many people believe so. Did you know that smoking was previously viewed as healthy? Advertisements for several cigarette brands used to promise consumers that smoking would actually benefit their health and promote weight loss. It wasn’t until years later that the truth about the risks and consequences of smoking actually came to light and drastic measures have been taken ever since to prevent and reduce the dangers that it can bring. Now, the consequences, from breathing problems to cancer, are widely known and continuously researched to provide responsible information to the consumer, thus reducing the amount of smoking they partake in.
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Now, in a world of evolving technology and innovation, more jobs are requiring workers to be sitting in front of a computer for several hours a day. These types of jobs, from programming to customer service, demand undivided attention to the computer screen, meaning that many people who work these types of jobs have to be sitting during the whole workday. While this may be seen as harmless or easy, the truth is that sitting for so long can open the door to a sedentary lifestyle that, just like smoking, can be hazardous to a person’s health.
For this article, we’ll discuss how sitting for long periods of time can be harmful and how, just like there was for smoking, there’s a need for more research on the matter.
Patients from all different backgrounds arrive at LIMARP® because they’re looking to improve their quality of life and embark on a healthier path. Our multidisciplinary team, led by Dr. Liza María Pompa González, offers different health services to help you reach your weight goals and beat obesity: from diet and exercise plans, to psychological guidance and surgical intervention. Some of the healthy habits we most encourage in our patients is to partake in physical activity, as it’s an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, and to stop smoking because of the countless benefits to their mental and physical well-being.
The Dangers of An Inactive Lifestyle
Let’s talk about having an inactive or sedentary lifestyle, which means spending most of the day either sitting or lying down with little to no exercise at all. As we previously mentioned, most jobs now require workers to be sitting down in front of a computer and even during their leisure time, many people continue to be sitting or lying down. While it’s perfectly normal to rest or wind down after a long day, it’s also important to remain active.
Like smoking, sitting all day can bring forth many health risks, such as obesity, heart diseases, high blood pressure and cholesterol, stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, osteoporosis, increased feelings of depression and anxiety, and even premature death[1].
The World Health Organization has identified the fight against inactivity as its third goal for the reduction of degenerative diseases, since long periods of inactivity are directly related to an increased risk for obesity, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, muscle and back issues, thrombosis, brittleness of the bones, and depression.
This information has led experts to declare that “sitting is the new smoking”[2], due to the long list of risks it poses and to the fact that people who work sitting have twice the risk of heart disease than those who work standing. Sitting down for long periods of time can have negative effects on the body, just like smoking, such as:
- Less calorie burning that can lead to weight gain
- Loss of muscle, strength, and endurance
- Weak bones and loss of mineral content
- Bad metabolism
- Your immune system may not work as well
- Poor blood circulation
- More body inflammation
- Risk of developing a hormonal imbalance
Beneficial Sitting Posture and Ways to Stay Active
When it comes to smoking, medical experts have found ways to reduce its dangers and ensure that their patients lead a healthy lifestyle. They will surely recommend cutting back on smoking, but they can also suggest methods that can make it easier to get rid of the addiction. Similar methods can be used if a person is sitting for long periods of time, which is why we’d like to show you the best way[3] to sit that can prevent soreness or body aches if you’re working for long periods of time.
First, adjust the height of your chair so that your feet rest flat on the floor or on a footrest. Make sure to keep your knees at or below the level of your hips, and to not cross your legs. Your ankles should be in front of your knees, while keeping a small gap between the back of your knees and the front of your seat.
Also, adjust your chair to support your back by placing a rolled towel or small pillow behind your lower back. Make sure the top of your monitor is at or slightly below eye level and keep your head and neck balanced and in line with your torso. Remember to relax your shoulders and to keep your forearms parallel to the ground.
Sitting for long periods of time slows down the metabolism, increasing glucose levels and blood pressure, as well as the risk of diabetes and heart disease, just as smoking does.
The good news is that short periods of simple activity may be sufficient to return these levels to normal. Experts suggest that two or three minutes of light activity every hour or every half hour may be as effective as half an hour of exercise. It is as simple as using a standing desk, walking a little, walking to a coworkers desk to tell them something rather than texting or emailing, taking phone calls while standing or setting an alarm to remind you to stretch for a few minutes.
The human body was not designed to sit for hours on end, on an evolutionary level we have been sitting as long as we do now for only 40 years, thanks mainly to computers; but we can avoid health risks by just working standing up for short periods of time. It is worth mentioning that the benefits of standing are for everyone, no matter their age.
When muscles are active, the body triggers a chain of beneficial actions, but when the body spends long periods of time sitting the effect is reversed. So here are a few tips on how to stay active at home:
- Housework, gardening, and yard work are all physical work.
- Lift hand weights, do some gentle yoga stretches, or pedal an exercise bike while watching TV.
- Work out at home with a workout video.
- Go for a walk in your neighborhood.
- Stand up when talking on the phone.
Contact Us to Learn More
If you want to learn more about the side effects of sitting for long periods of time or want to change your lifestyle habits, schedule an appointment with one of our doctors. We can help determine the right treatment for you. Contact us online anytime or give us a call at (619) 373-0229.
References
- [1] “Health Risks of an Inactive Lifestyle”. https://medlineplus.gov/healthrisksofaninactivelifestyle.html. (Accessed May 16, 2023).
- [2] Baddeley B, Sornalingam S, Cooper M. Sitting is the new smoking: where do we stand? Br J Gen Pract. 2016 May;66(646):258. doi: 10.3399/bjgp16X685009. PMID: 27127279; PMCID: PMC4838429.[3] “Good posture tips”. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/multimedia/back-pain/sls-20076817?s=5. (Accessed May 17, 2023).