Most jobs involve long sitting hours. From the time they enter the office to the time to the time they leave for home, one might have had only two short breaks with the rest of the hours sitting down.
Long sitting hours have a link to negative health effects on an individual’s body. Frequent physical movement aids in the overall health of an individual, where failure may lead to the following health effects;
- Risk of obesity.
- Increased blood pressure
- High blood sugar.
- Excess body fat around the waist and unhealthy cholesterol levels comprise metabolic syndrome.
- Increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
As you can see, long sitting hours can be as bad as smoking one packet of cigarettes a day.
It is also important to note that one in ten premature deaths is associated with inactivity, and since the sitting disease affects anyone regardless of their health status, it is, therefore, worth finding ways to stay healthy.
To avoid all these issues, here are tips to follow.
1. Stand up several times a day
Standing might seem very trivial, but it goes a long way in contributing to one’s health. Rather than sit the whole time and only stand during breaks, one can create a personal habit of standing from time to time.
One can even set reminders on their phones that will play a major role in ensuring that they do not forget. You can stand for even a few minutes, depending on how you may want to do it.
2. Stretch regularly
Muscles are supposed to be active. Your health depends on constant activity that brings about strength and vitality.
At work, one can get into the habit of stretching regularly. After every few minutes, one can stretch, and when possible, one can even stand to stretch the whole body.
3. Walk around
Apart from standing and stretching, one can also walk around. This could be around your workspace or even a trip to the washroom. Any slight movement of the body, is very important in ensuring that the whole body stays active.
4. Maintain a good sitting posture
Another aspect that contributes to poor health after long sitting hours at the office is poor sitting posture. Poor posture involves the bending of the spinal cord or hunching at the shoulders.
You will know that you have been sitting in a poor posture when you have symptoms that include rounded shoulders, a potbelly, bent knees when standing or walking, a head that is either forward or backward, back pain, body aches and pains, muscle fatigue, and sometimes headache.
To avoid all these symptoms, maintain a proper posture by ensuring that you observe a reversed curve when sitting. You also ensure that your shoulders are back and straight when you sit.
5. Consider the Alternatives
Since the better part of the day requires sitting down, one can opt for the alternatives, which include getting a standing desk. A standing desk will reduce one’s sitting hours and ensure that the negative effects are greatly reduced. Lifestyle: Benefits Of A Standing Desk
You can also decide that every out-of-office moment would involve standing, such as conversations and meals.
Reducing the negative effects of long sitting hours would require one’s commitment to these few tips.
Here are other articles you may want to check out
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Health: Knee Pain – Effective Home Remedies And Solutions
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Health – Fitness: 8 Benefits Of Walking
Career: Toxic Productivity – Signs You Have It And How To Break The Cycle
Health: 5 Ways To Prevent Office Syndrome (Office-Related Injuries)
