There’s no hurt in resting our body and recuperating after a long workout or a tiring day at work. In most cases, people lie down in bed or sit down in their coach while enjoying their favorite television show. Both are known for being an effective way of calming the mind and regaining energy.
For many white-collar workers who have to work eight hours a day and five days a week at the office, they have to sit down to interact with the computer. Since most employees and workers will need to focus on their tasks, most will need to sit down. However, sitting down and doing repetitive tasks for a very long time can inadvertently do more harm to the body than good.
Naturally, our bodies are designed to be active and will usually adapt and react to the environment that they are in. If we live a sedentary lifestyle, this can lead to unhealthy habits that could affect much of our health. That said, we have to know different ways of mitigating the effects of sitting down all day, especially among individuals that have to sit down because it’s the nature of their work. Here’s what you’ll need to know.
How Does Sitting Down Affect the Body?
Although sitting down is a relaxing activity that can help us set our mind on goals and tasks, it can also cause problems to our body. Some studies have shown that sitting down isn’t natural to humans. The earliest known humans would rather squat than sit down.
Having a more active lifestyle can help burn away calories while keeping muscles toned for better results. When you are sitting all day, you will notice the following changes to your body:
- Lowered metabolism – Since you aren’t burning as many calories as you should be, the body will store energy as fats rather than burn them. This will mean that your body will have a harder time converting food into energy.
- Weight gain – when you burn fewer calories and store more fat, this will lead to weight gain.
- Atrophied muscles – our muscles will usually adapt to the number of activities we do in a day. If we don’t exercise our muscles, there is a good chance that this could lead to muscle atrophy.
- Compromised bone integrity – Just like muscles, your bones will become weaker and frailer. This means that it will become even more prone to injuries in the long run.
- Weaker immune system – This will often lead to the body being more vulnerable to many diseases.
- Poor blood circulation – Sitting down can restrict blood flow in the lower half of the body.
If not properly addressed, having a sedentary lifestyle could lead to various permanent and long-term health complications. This is one of the reasons why we need to have a more active lifestyle. Here are some ways to be more active.
Honing Your Green Thumb Skill
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has restricted the number of activities that people can do, there are still many fun and engaging activities at home that you can do. Gardening is known for being one of the best ways of maintaining a good state of mental health. Not only is gardening a fulfilling hobby, but this is also a great way of staying active. Essentially, gardening is a great way of staying active.
In most cases, you’ll need to move most of your muscles when moving soil and plants around. You might also have to do some heavy lifting, which can help fire up your lower body’s muscles.
Still, it’s important to have the proper safety equipment and a good deal of planning when gardening. If you’re not entirely sure about what you are doing, there are always landscape designers that can give you an in-depth strategy and look at what you can do for your garden.
Make Some Lifestyle Changes
Lastly, you’ll need to make some important changes to your lifestyle. You can start by building up momentum by doing some key warm-ups and exercises. Once you’ve finished some of your important work, you can stand up and do some stretches. Some experts would also suggest having a separate standing desk from your “regular” desk since this will force you to stand while you are working.
There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that sitting down while having a cup of tea or coffee is one of the most relaxing things to do, but staying active should also be a priority. Sitting down for an extended period of time can have a variety of negative effects on your health. Ironically, you’ll need to take a “break” from sitting down by sweating it out.
Even if you have a hectic and busy schedule, you will always have time to do what you want. Whether it’s hiking, jogging, or going to the gym, it doesn’t take even an hour to exercise.
