YOU’VE GOT TO MOVE IT! Sedentary Lifestyle: Know it and avoid it.

Modern times and its multiple factors can be determinants of the less active generation nowadays. The at-home video game craze, mobile social media sites, and variety of entertainment video programming in households make it easy for people to hang out on the couch (or on the bed) and pass the time away. 

Do you feel like being a couch potato, somehow? Read on.

Pop-doc.com is a great resource for mobility and exercises that will help you create a healthy lifestyle.

The term ‘couch potato’ has been used many times to describe someone who sits comfortably on some type of an immovable object for an expansive length of time. This kind of behavior could have negative effects on health and even be fatal if there is no positive turnabout in an individual’s habits.

What is a ‘Sedentary’ lifestyle?

According to Random House Webster’s dictionary, Sedentary is one who is characterized or accustomed to much sitting and little physical activity. This trend of physical inactivity is often referred to as ‘Sitting Disease’ or Sedentary Death Syndrome (SeDS). Statistics from current studies show that physical inactivity and harmful lifestyle habits pose serious threat to a person’s health. The consequences brought about by SeDS are high, mainly resulting in the development of chronic diseases. The human body is precisely designed for the function of movement and activity, which attributes to overall wellness. Without movement, the body will gradually lose its ability to function properly and can also result in sickness. 

As it is prevalent nowadays, a sedentary lifestyle is almost toppling tobacco use from the top position implicating that it is the cause of several types of cancers in people. Also, as the obesity rates continue to rise, more chronic diseases like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and diabetes turn up in numbers. Living a sedentary lifestyle makes these conditions likely to occur, and harder to mitigate or reverse.

People sit more often than before 

Research infers advances in technology such as cars/ transportation, cell phones, remote controlled machines, and computers as factors that eliminates the need for physical activity in daily life. Enjoying the conveniences brought about by modern technology results to less to no movement at all. Sitting is the usual body posture; it is done when people work, travel, socialize, study, or even eat. Although a common posture, the modern society is inclined to overemphasize this position. However, this doesn’t mean that it is totally harmless. Note that almost half of the average person’s day is spent in a seated position. In fact, a typical office worker may spend up to a whopping total of 15 hours daily of just sitting.

Observational research taken from over a population of 1 million shows that the more sedentary you are, the more likely you are to die early. Based on statistics, the most sedentary individuals have a 22-49% greater risk of early death. 

The Social Security administration defines sedentary work as exerting up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, but may include walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and other sedentary criteria are met. Most office jobs that are integral to corporate companies entail sitting on hours’ end, it is important that they are aware that sedentary work does not have to lead to a sedentary lifestyle.

What can you do about it?

While relaxing can be beneficial, try minimizing the hours spent on sitting around the office desk. One solution is standing up and doing some stretches in between. Also consider going on some short walks during workday, or even taking the stairs instead of taking the lift.

Time and again, health gurus advise that exercise is one of the best ways to achieve optimal health. Random House Webster’s defined exercise as bodily or mental exertion, especially for the sake of training; something done or performed as training. Basically it is the act of doing something that involves physical movement, with purpose. It has been proven that exercise positively alters most chronic medical conditions. Having been linked with prevention and treatment of depression and anxiety, physical activity is also great for your mind. When you exercise, you release hormones like endorphins, serotonin, and adrenaline that help to distract you from negative thoughts, fight stress, and improve your mood. by promoting relaxation, they can also help you sleep better.

Go for that gym membership that you’ve been eyeing for sometime, or even do some exercises in the comfort of your home. Remember to incorporate physical activities in your daily routine, at your own pace and on your own time. Recreational activities are also considered exercise, and these can be things such as dancing, gardening, sweeping, mopping, doing house chores, or fishing.

Do you know that everyday non-exercise activities, such as standing, walking, and even fidgeting, can still burn calories? This energy expenditure is known as non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), the lack of which is a factor for weight gain. Sedentary behaviors, including sitting and lying down, involve minimum energy expenditure. Thus, limiting the capability to burn calories through NEAT.

Summary

A sedentary lifestyle is a type of lifestyle with little or no physical activity. A person living a sedentary lifestyle is often sitting or lying down while engaged in an activity like reading, watching television, playing video games, or using a mobile phone/computer for much of the day. Overtime, this can potentially contribute to bad health and several preventable causes of early death.

Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle can be easy, as long as one understands the potential consequences, and has the awareness to help avoid these consequences. Getting ready to lead an active lifestyle involves taking a step back and keeping track of your current routine. Perhaps it is time for a new hobby, or time to work on an interest and consider getting yourself some regular exercise or training. 

Physical activity is almost impossible to overstate as it contributes to the overall state of the body, from your bones to your muscles to your organs. Regular exercise strengthens your muscles and bones which aids relief from common aches and pains, such as lower back pain and arthritis, as well as fighting osteoporosis and muscle loss. Combine being active with staying well-rested, eating intelligently, allowing your body to recover after injury or condition, and staying hydrated are a few easy, but helpful pointers.

David T. Neuman, MD, FAAOS is the founder and CEO of Pop-Doc. He is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in Arthoscopic Surgery and Sports Medicine. He is Certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and is an active member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He is an instructor and member of the Arthoscopy Association of North America; and a member of the American Medical Association, the Medical Society of the State of New York, and several other medical societies. The integrity and efficacy of this database was created with a respected doctorate of physical therapy.