Sitting All Day is Even Worse Than We Thought!

Sitting can be comfy...but also terribly unhealthy! (Photo: bitlifting.wordpress.com)

If you have spent any time researching height-adjustable desks, you already know about the established dangers of prolonged sitting, which include an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, metabolic disorder, depression, and some cancers. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but according to the Washington Post, there are even more reasons to avoid being chained to your desk chair all day.

All-day sitting leads to some significant organ damage. The increased risk of heart disease is due to the sluggish blood flow that occurs during prolonged sitting, which allows fatty acids to clog your arteries. The increased risk of diabetes happens because your non-moving muscles don't respond to insulin, and thus your pancreas produces more and more. This decline in insulin response happens after just one day of sitting, and is exacerbated by each successive stretch of being sedentary. Excess insulin is also theorized to enable cell growth, which may explain the link between prolonged sitting and colon, breast, and endometrial cancers.

Your muscles don't fare so well, either. Slumping in your chair leads to unused abdominal and back muscles, which can cause a swayback spine and poor posture. Your hip flexors are also held hostage in your chair, and they become shortened and tightened with underuse. This becomes a particular concern as you age, since poor hip mobility is the main reason elderly people fall. Your glute muscles also get mushy, which can lead to problems with stability and walking stride.

You'll also see negative effects in your overall leg health. Lack of leg activity can contribute to osteoporosis and long-term sitting leads to poor circulation, swollen ankles, deep vein thrombosis, and varicose veins.

Even your brain slows down with all this non-movement. Because you're sitting mostly still and your muscles aren't working much, you don't get as much fresh blood and oxygen pumped to your brain. That foggy feeling may be caused not by your lack of coffee, but by your lack of movement.

Yikes! Please stand up and move around more at work! Try a height-adjustable desk or a treadmill desk to get those muscles moving. Standing goes a long way towards getting your blood moving and decreasing insulin production, and helps work your muscles and prevent pain. Adding walking to that increases movement and calorie burn. You'll find yourself more focused and energized, with less back pain and brain fog. It truly is life-changing to unshackle yourself from the prison of your desk chair.

Visit us at TheHumanSolution.com for lots of ways to stay healthy and happy at work.

Related Reads:

• Adjusting To Your Adjustable Height Desk
• Treadmill Desk Health Benefits: Improve Digestion and Blood Sugar Levels While Walking
• Your Car, Office Chair, and Couch are Conspiring to Kill You. Just a Heads Up.