Dangers of Excessive Sitting

Dangers of excessive sitting

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Did you know sitting for long periods of the day is a on the job hazard? Excessive sitting can pose danger to life and health, as it can cause health issues such as:

• Can worsen mental health

• Higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer

• Higher risk of being disabled

• Obesity

• Slows the metabolism

• Weaken muscles and bones

• Increased blood pressure, cholesterol levels and high blood sugars

A study found that people who sat for long periods of more than 11 hours a day, were more at risk of dying at a younger age than those who did not sit for long periods.

11 hours sounds like a lot but this time could easily be made up from sitting in vehicles, sitting at work at a desk and, sitting on the coach watching TV, without much notice.

Hours sitting at work a day: 8 hours

Commute to and from work: 1 hour

Watching TV at night: 2 hours

Total hours sitting a day= 11 hours

x 5 working days= 55 hours of sitting just between Monday and Friday!

Over a lifetime in a job where an individual sits all day, this number is huge.

(30 years X 55 hours a week = 85,800 hours during 30 years of work)

Prevention

As you may guess the prevention from excessive sitting, is exercise!

For office workers investing in a stand up / sit down desk can assist with reducing the risk. Being able to change from sitting to standing can help. If this is not an option, try:

• Standing up for a few minutes every 30 minutes

• Go for a brief walk

• Stand while talking on the phone