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The Dangers of Sitting – The Apeiron Life Perspective

Updated: Mar 29, 2023


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What is it:

Sitting for long periods is a norm for almost everyone in the modern world. Most jobs are sedentary, and we often commute long distances or relax by sitting in front of the TV. More than half of American adults sit 6-8 hours daily. Yet, we can’t erase the effects of a lifetime spent sitting, even if we exercise regularly. As mounting evidence shows sitting is deemed the new smoking. So how do we quit?


Purported claims:

Sitting doesn’t just make our backs ache, and butts widen. It affects our body from top to bottom.

  • Increases mortality risk

  • Increases the risk of metabolic syndrome

  • Increased risk of certain cancers

  • Muscle degeneration

  • Leg disorders

  • Soft bones

  • Foggy brain


What the science says:

According to the Norwegian School of Sports Science, physical inactivity contributes to about 9% of all deaths annually, corresponding to more than 5 million deaths globally. A study with almost 8000 Americans (aged 45+) found that the cumulative amount of sedentary time and length of the session without interruptions were associated with a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality. The more you sit without interruptions, the higher the risk of premature death.


One of the reasons why sitting is linked to a shorter lifespan is that it negatively affects metabolism. Muscles burn less fat when we sit for long periods, and fatty acids can more easily cause clogging in the heart and arteries. People who sit a lot have been shown to have higher cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. These are all risk factors for metabolic syndrome.


Too much sitting has even been linked to certain types of cancer, such as colon, lung, and uterine. The potential reasons for why this might happen medical experts point to the fact that sedentary behavior contributes to a host of adverse effects on the body, such as altered sex hormone production, increased body fat, and inflammation which all promote cancer development.


Changes in posture are one of the earliest visible signs of chronic prolonged sitting. Anterior pelvic tilt, an excessive curve in the lower spine, can be caused by overactive and shortened hip flexors and underactive core muscles. Rounded shoulders and a forward-leaning head are other signs of too much time spent sitting in front of screens. When moving or even standing, our core needs to work to keep us upright and stable. Sitting, on the other hand, doesn’t require our abs or glutes to do anything. While they atrophy, our hip flexors are perennially engaged in a shortened position causing tight hips and an achy back.


Chronic sitting is problematic to our skeleton in multiple ways, as it can put enough pressure on our spine to cause herniated or bulging discs. The correlation between occupational sitting and loss of bone mineral density (BMD), a risk factor for osteoporosis, has also been established in many studies. Sciatica, a painful condition caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve, affects about 40% of Americans. Because the sciatic nerve runs through the gluteals down to the feet, prolonged sitting can initiate or exacerbate sciatica if you already have symptoms.


When sitting too long, we’ve all experienced our legs going numb and blood pooling into our calves. Swollen ankles can be easily mitigated by stretching and walking, but over time sitting can cause varicose veins and even deep vein thrombosis, a dangerous type of blood clot. Sitting can also increase our risk for osteoporosis since bones can only get stronger and thicker by weight-bearing exercises such as walking and jogging.


Moving around pumps blood and oxygen not just to our muscles but also to our brains. When we sit, everything slows down, including our brain function. A recent study at Microsoft showed that just four back-to-back 30-minute meetings without breaks increased the beta wave activity in the brain. Beta waves indicate heightened stress levels. The study also showed that those who didn’t get breaks were less engaged as the meetings piled on. Too much sitting could even affect our memory, according to a preliminary study from UCLA. That is why we need recess in schools and the office!


The research on whether regular exercise can eliminate or reduce the ill effects of exercise is contradictory. A meta-analysis of 16 studies found that people who engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day, which is much more than the average American does, were protected from an increased risk of all-cause mortality. However, another study states that even an hour of moderate to vigorous exercise can’t compensate for the harmful effects of inactivity on insulin levels and plasma lipids that occur during the rest of the day. The same study concluded that it is more beneficial for health to engage in consistent but less vigorous movement throughout the day than exercising in one session and being sedentary or “an active coach potato” for the rest of the day.



Our take:

You can implement some changes to counter the ill effects of prolonged sitting. If your job requires sitting through multiple sessions, try to see if you can make some of them walking meetings. If that’s not possible, you can stand or do a few stretches between meetings to recharge your brain and get the blood flowing. Even doing a minute or two of deep breathing can help to decrease stress levels. While watching TV, you can stretch, cycle on a standing bike, or play with your kids/pets to dodge the harmful pitfall of slouching on the couch.

Try letting go of the idea that exercise has to be “one bout of sweating” that you need to squeeze into your hectic day but rather think of it as small bursts of activity sprinkled throughout the day. This could be better for your overall well-being after all. Use the weekends and slower days for longer, more demanding workouts.



Will this benefit you?

Movement is medicine, so the opposite might be said about being sedentary. Moving regularly may help decrease the risk of many illnesses and keep your body weight healthy. It can also enhance your cognitive function and lift your mood. When your body starts to deteriorate from too much sitting, it can be hard to undo the harm if you don’t catch it early. Your health is the most critical factor in how well you can enjoy your life, especially when you get older. If you take care of your body, it will take care of you too.


Here’s what to keep an eye on:

Although sitting without breaks for hours on end isn’t healthy for anyone, this doesn’t mean you should be standing for the entire day either since standing still can also create back and lower leg pain. If you need to be in front of a computer most of the workday, invest in a good ergonomic chair and adjustable height table to alternate between sitting and standing, and take breaks every hour to move around. In a perfect world, we would do various kinds of movements throughout the day and take breaks to rest and recover.


References:

Sedentary time and mortality: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28892811/

Sitting and all-cause mortality risk: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4960753/

Sitting association with diabetes, CVD and mortality: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22890825/

Sitting and cerebral blood flow: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29878870/

Sitting and hip bone mineral density: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9405733/

High amount of exercise can eliminate inactivity: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140673616303701

High amount of exercise cannot eliminate inactivity:

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