Prolonged sitting is harmful to our health

A FRIEND of mine posted on Instagram recently about how "sitting down is the new smoking", she took a photo of the article which pointed out why the researcher was so against sitting down. Or shall I say, prolonged sitting. The article she posted up took me a little bit by surprise, especially seeing that most of us are pretty sedentary.

It is pretty unassuming and seemingly rather harmless. We do it on a daily basis, but recent studies have found that too much of it is apparently bad for our health. Sitting, or too much of sitting down, is said to be the undoing of good health.

I suppose, if you see the bigger picture, it is common sense. On a more scientific level, researches have found that prolonged sitting contributes to disturbance to our metabolic functions leading to bad vascular health.

As a matter of fact, prolonged sitting is also found to have adverse effect in active people too. The studies have found that people who sit more have a higher chance of dying earlier than their more active counterparts.

In a research paper by the University of Missouri, findings suggested that prolonged sitting increases several health risks, including:

- Diabetes

- Obesity

- Fatty liver

- Slash life expectancy span

- Cancer

- Heart attack risk

As you can see, the risks are the same as living a sedentary life. So if your job leaves you desk bound for most of the time, here are some of the things you can do to ensure that you get off your backside and on your feet.

Time yourself

Pay attention to the clock, make it a point to take a walk around the office every 45 minutes. If work isn't too pressing, you can even take time out and walk up and down your nearest flight of stairs.

Make plans outdoorsIt's the weekend and you're planning to take the family out for a movie and dinner. It's a good idea, but wouldn't it be better to take everyone out to enjoy some sun and fun? That way everyone gets to get off their backside and enjoy some fresh air and the health benefits of being active.

Regular exercise

If you are regularly exercising most days of the week, it cuts your chances of just sitting down watching television or doing nothing. Exercise also boasts plenty of health benefits such as bringing down your blood pressure and cutting down other undesirable risks.

The views expressed by the author are her own and do not reflect those of The Brunei Times.

The Brunei Times