Sitting for a long time is like a gentle “chronic suicide”, allowing you to enjoy comfort while disintegrating your health. For some people, sitting and standing are inevitable, so you may struggle repeatedly in comfort and anxiety.
Half an hour of exercise can offset sedentary injuries
Recently, a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, a sub-issue of the BMJ, confirmed that 30-40 minutes of medium to high-intensity exercise a day can offset the negative effects of 10 hours of sitting. In order to reduce all-cause mortality (death caused by various causes).
The study was derived from a meta-analysis of 9 studies by 40 scientists from the Harvard University T.HChan School of Public Health, Karolinska Institutet of Sweden, and the Norwegian Academy of Sports Sciences. Among them, 44,370 subjects involved in these 9 studies came from 4 different countries with an average age of 65.8 years (standard deviation ±8.6 years). The researchers followed them for 4 to 14.5 years, during which 3451 people died.
In these study cohorts, the average length of time that participants were sedentary was 8.5 to 10.5 hours/day; moderate to high-intensity sports activities ranged from 8 minutes/day to 35 minutes/day.
The analysis found that the longer the sedentary time and the less exercise, the higher the mortality rate. Compared with the control group (highest amount of exercise/least sedentary time), as the time of moderate to high-intensity physical activity decreases, the risk of death also increases.
(The researchers said that among people who exercised 30-40 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day, the relationship between the length of sitting and the risk of death was not significantly different from those who were less sedentary.
In other words, some frequent activities, such as cycling, walking, etc., can reduce the risk of premature death to as low as those who rarely sit for a long time.)
Sedentary will hurt 7 major parts of the body
Sitting in front of the computer for several hours, and swiping a cell phone on the sofa for a long time, many people may have been in this state. “Sitting” seems to relax the body, but quietly wears down various organs.
Heart
Sitting for a long time, and drinking less water, blood circulation slows down. The function of the heart will decline and cause myocardial atrophy.
Lung
Prolonged inactivity may cause venous thrombosis, especially in the legs where thrombosis is high. Deep vein thrombosis in the legs can easily block the blood vessels of the lower extremities and make people unable to move.
Intestine
Sedentary people have weakened intestinal and stomach peristalsis and harmful components tend to stay in the colon, stimulating the intestinal mucosa. In addition, the abdominal, pelvic, and lumbosacral blood circulation is not smooth, the intestinal immune barrier function is reduced, and the risk of colon cancer is increased. This situation is more common in young men. In addition, sedentary people are also prone to hemorrhoids.
Pancreas
A study published in “American Journal of Preventive Medicine, AJPM” showed that women who sit for more than 7 hours a day have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Not only that, if you have diabetes, the longer the patient sits and the faster the weight gain, the greater the impact on islet function.
Sitting for a long time without exercise can easily lead to obesity and promote “insulin resistance” in the body. The human body mainly relies on insulin to lower blood sugar.
Spine
Sitting in a bad posture for a long time, with the lower back hanging in the air, the lumbar spine is in an angled state, the gravity on the intervertebral disc is continuously increased, and the intervertebral disc is induced to degenerate and herniate. It is recommended that everyone stand up and stand within an hour to relax.
Knee
After sitting for a long time, especially if the sitting posture is not correct for a long time, the waist will be severely compressed, and the lumbar nerves will extend to the knee, which will cause knee pain. In addition, people who sit and work all the year round are likely to suffer from “patellar chondromalacia” because they keep their legs bent for a long time and blood vessels are compressed, making the temperature at the knees lower.
Brain
Sitting for a long time, blood circulation slows down, it can also lead to the insufficient blood supply to the brain, damage the mind and brain, produce mental depression, manifested as fatigue, malaise, yawning, and so on.
If you stand up suddenly, symptoms such as dizziness and dizziness may occur; excessive sitting and thinking or staying up late for a long time may also cause problems such as memory loss and inability to concentrate.
Best 4 sports for sedentary
Based on the analysis of the big data of 1.44 million people, the MD Anderson Cancer Center concluded that exercise can significantly reduce the incidence of 13 types of cancer, by 10% to 42%. Ningbo B&H ergonomics integrated the articles published on the US “Medical Daily” website and invited cardiologists and kinesiologists to summarize 4 exercises to improve blood circulation and improve cardiopulmonary ability.
Walk fast
Strengthen the heart and lungs, increase the strength of the lower limbs.
It is recommended that when walking briskly, raise your head and chest and throw your arms away; the best stride length is 45%~50% of your height. For example, a person with a height of 170 cm has a stride length of 76.5~85 cm.
Before brisk walking, walk slowly for 5 to 10 minutes to warm up, and then perform simple stretching to reduce the risk of sports injuries.
Running
Running exercise with high intensity is more conducive to promoting blood circulation and improving cardiopulmonary function. It can also enhance immunity. People who run regularly have better physical fitness.
It is not recommended to run for people who have not had exercise habits for more than 3-6 months and people with serious chronic diseases.
Swimming
Swimming is suitable for people of all ages. It is recommended to swim 2 to 3 times a week, about 1 hour each time. But be aware that people with heart disease, severe high blood pressure, infectious diseases, and ear diseases are not suitable for swimming.
Badminton
In August 2019, a study in “British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine, BASEM” found that swinging sports can reduce the risk of all-cause death by 47%, and sports such as table tennis, tennis, and badminton can cause cardiovascular death The risk is reduced by 56%.
For the elderly with weaker physical strength, it is best to choose a smaller exercise intensity, such as table tennis and other net swing sports.
Easier Choices
If you don’t have enough time or unwilling to exercise every day, the easier choice you can get is using a standing desk. You don’t have to sit or stand all day, but change it regularly, take a short break and walk around.
On the road to health, we are willing to walk with you.
