Folukemi is a trained journalist, a writer, a social media…
It is the 21st century and there are certain lifestyles we consider normal, one of them is marathon sitting. this may sound normal till we begin to experience some negative side effects of sitting for too long. Consider this scenario.
You left home so early in the morning in order to beat the traffic but you were not quick enough as you were stuck in 2 hours traffic before getting to work. Well, You live in a city, you are used to it, so no big deal at all. You got to work and went straight to your sit after exchanging pleasantries with your colleagues. You were in from of your computer, your head buried in work till noon, then the rumbling noise in your stomach signaled to you how hungry you are. But you are still busy and need to focus on your work. So you called an office assistant to get you something to eat as you work.
It was evening, you are done for the day, you hit the road, and you were greeted by another round of traffic. You got home, prepare a meal to eat, then you spend the rest of the day in front of the television catching up on the episodes of your favorite dramas you had missed. You went to bed and the following day, repeat the same routine.
But have you noticed the Mr. X in the story above spent most of the day on his butt? Siting for too long seems to be something a good number of us are used too and it is not without health implications. Let’s look at some of them.
1. Stiffed Neck and Shoulder: This can be immediate and long-term. Twisting the neck or stretching out a bit may bring some temporary relief, but there are long-term implications.
2. Hip Problems: Sitting for too long can tighten the hip bones for lack of proper movement and friction that would have made the hip bones free. So feeling unexplainable pain in the hips is something those that sit for long will have to contend with.
3. Weak Bones: One may be tempted to think moving around all day will tire out the bones, making them weak, but that is not always the case as sitting too much can be damaging to the bones in the body. Bones get stronger when in use, something that cannot be attained by sitting for too long.
4. Deep Vein Thrombosis(DVT): DVT occurs when a blood clot develops in a deep part of the vein, usually in the legs. This clot can dissolve and reform again in other parts of the body, and this may lead to hazardous health situations.
5. Increases Diabetes Risk: Research has proven marathon sitting can lead to increased insulin resistance putting them at the risk of diabetes.
How To Manage Sitting Too Long
An Australian research gave a suggestion on how to manage the effects of sitting for so long especially when. The study suggests taking a break every one hour to move around for a while could curtail most of the effects of marathon sitting
This may be hard to do when you have a mountain of works calling for our attention, but taking some minutes off to do something that will keep you fit to be more sound and effective seems to be a wise choice to make.
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Folukemi is a trained journalist, a writer, a social media enthusiast. She believes being happy and fulfilled is not a fairy tale and she is dedicated to helping others find theirs.