The average person spends about 9 of their waking hours a day sitting. The connection between health complications and excessive sitting was first studied back in the 1950s when it was observed that bus drivers were twice as likely to have a heart attack as their bus conductor colleagues. Since then there has been a slew of research unearthing many other health risks.
You may consider yourself a healthy, active person who doesn’t fall into the category of people who sit 9 hours a day. Take a moment to think about the time you spend commuting to a from work, sitting at your desk or at a table and sitting in the evening to relax and watch your favorite show. It’s surprising how quickly the hours add up. The human body is made up of 360 joints and over 700 muscles-many of which are negatively affected by a lifestyle of sitting. Here are just a few of the associated health risks.
- 1Back and neck pain: Sitting compresses the disks of your spine rather than allowing them space to move naturally. This is detrimental to your posture and often leads to severe neck and back pain.
- 2Muscle Degeneration: Sitting for long periods of time allows the muscles in your lower body to atrophy which decreases your metabolism and leaves you vulnerable to injury.
- 3Slowed Metabolism: If you don’t make a point of staying consistently active throughout the day then you are likely to gain weight and suffer from a slowed metabolism as well as a reduced ability to process sugar.
- 4Varicose Veins: Sitting decreases your blood flow and can lead to painful varicose veins or irritating spider veins. There are products, such as our Rest My Sole footrest cushion that can help prevent and relieve vein pain during times you have to sit such as on an airplane or long car ride.
- 5Heart Damage: Heart damage is the natural result of living a lifestyle of increased weight, decreased muscle mass and depressed blood flow. Additionally, long periods of sitting can deactivate an enzyme called lipoprotein that breaks down fat in your blood vessels. Studies have shown that excessive sitting increases your rick of heart attack.
Sitting all day is an addictive habit, but ultimately it leads to unnecessary pain and risk. Transitioning to a standing desk doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as you may think. With our affordable standing desk risers, you can conveniently reduce that time without committing to an expensive new desk. Don’t neglect your health, try one of our standing desk risers today!
