Scientists say too much time spent sitting can have a negative effect on your body — your overall health and longevity.
Sitting for long periods increases our chance for some 35 serious conditions, because getting up and moving around is key for regulating proteins, genes, and other systems that lower our susceptibility to these diseases. Here are six effects of “sittingitis”:
Depression & Anxiety-
The more you sit at work, the greater your risk, even if you exercise, a study in Mental Health and Physical Activity found. On the flip side, other research shows that the more people move throughout the day, the happier they are.
Back & Neck Pain-
“Just four hours of sitting can compress a key disc in your lower back”, says Gregory Billy, M.D., associate professor of orthopaedics and rehabilitation at Penn State University. Poor posture also leads to disc problems in your neck.
Cancer-
Risk of colon and endometrial cancer goes up even after accounting for exercise, possibly due to inflammation, weight gain, and other changes. One review in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reports that for every additional two hours per day spent sitting, risk jumps 8% and 10% for colon cancer and endometrial cancer respectively.
Obesity, Diabetes & Heart Trouble-
“Yes, you burn fewer calories sitting, but also the hormone insulin’s ability to move glucose out of blood and into cells may decline when you sit for long periods”, says Dr. Alter. Cholesterol and markers of inflammation go up, how you metabolize fat changes, and vascular function is reduced.
Weak Bones-
Weight-bearing exercise, including standing and walking, stresses your skeleton in a good way, signaling specialized cells to replace old bone tissue with new. When you sit too much, the body replaces less of what it loses, leading to fragile bones and a greater risk of osteoporosis, especially as you get older.
Blood Clots-
Slow blood flow in the legs from a sedentary lifestyle, possibly along with lower levels of clot-preventing proteins, increases your risk. Women who sit for more than 40 hours per week double the risk of a clot moving to their lungs compared with those who sit less than 10 hours.
